How many days does it usually take for a fever to subside from a cold?

Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
Updated on March 19, 2025
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A cold, if accompanied by a fever, is mostly caused by bacterial or viral infections. Under the guidance of a doctor, active symptomatic treatment can usually reduce the fever within two to three days. It is recommended that during the fever period, one should monitor the body temperature closely. If the temperature exceeds 38.5°C, fever-reducing medication should be taken immediately to achieve the purpose of reducing the fever, to avoid febrile convulsions, especially in infants and young children whose nervous systems are not yet fully developed. If a high fever is not treated promptly, it could likely lead to febrile convulsions and may have a certain impact on the child's health. Therefore, it is advised to take fever-reducing medication in a timely manner. If the body temperature is below 38.5°C, physical cooling methods can be used at this time. Let the baby or the patient drink more water to promote excretion and enhance their resistance. Physical cooling methods should also be used regularly.

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Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
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What is the difference between viral cold and wind-heat cold?

The distinction between viral influenza and wind-heat cold is mainly the different naming conventions used by two different medical systems for the common cold. Viral influenza is a term used in modern medicine to describe a viral infection. In contrast, wind-heat cold is a term used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for a type of cold that occurs after being affected by a pathogenic heat. These two terms are completely different. The pathogen of viral influenza is primarily caused by a viral infection. On the other hand, wind-heat cold is diagnosed based on symptoms, suggesting that the individual might have been affected by pathogenic heat, or has internal heat, leading to the condition. Therefore, generally, viral influenza is not treated with traditional Chinese medicine. Wind-heat cold, conversely, is not treated with Western medicine. So, if diagnosed with viral influenza, one would typically take some antiviral medications along with Western cold medicines. If diagnosed with wind-heat cold by a TCM practitioner, some appropriate heat-clearing and detoxifying Chinese medicines would be prescribed. These represent two distinct medical systems with their unique diagnostic labels for the illness.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
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What causes a cold to lead to stomach ache?

A cold, also known as an upper respiratory tract infection, often occurs in individuals with weakened immune systems who are exposed to the cold. Symptoms include nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing. The common causes of a cold are viruses, bacteria, or other pathogens entering the respiratory tract. If a patient with a cold also experiences stomach pain, it may be due to exposure to cold while having a pre-existing chronic gastritis. This can occur from not wearing adequate clothing or from consuming cold foods such as ice cream and other frozen desserts, causing simultaneous occurrences of a cold and stomach pain. This is quite common. Therefore, for cold patients who already suffer from stomach issues, it is important to be cautious and aware, especially when taking oral medications to treat a cold. Many medications can irritate the stomach, so even in cases of simple upper respiratory tract infections, it is generally better to choose medications that are less irritating to the stomach for treatment.

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Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
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Can you eat watermelon when you have a cold?

In the case of a cold, it's appropriate to eat some watermelon, but not too much. Since watermelon is cooling in nature, eating too much may cause discomfort in the digestive system, so it should be consumed in moderation. However, during a cold, it is best to follow a doctor’s advice and take medication for treatment. If it's just a common cold with minor symptoms like a runny nose, sneezing, and nasal congestion, it should be allowed to heal on its own. It is self-limiting and will generally resolve within about seven days without intervention. This is important to remember. Also, daily life and diet should be light, avoiding spicy, greasy, and raw or stimulating foods. It's important to maintain a relaxed mood, avoid excessive stress, and actively cooperate with the doctor’s treatment.

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Written by Zhang Shu Kun
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Can scraping (gua sha) cure a cold?

Gua sha cannot cure a cold, but it helps with recovery from a cold. This is because gua sha can reduce internal heat, promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis, and improve the body's metabolism. To cure a cold, it is still necessary to use cold medicines or anti-inflammatory drugs to achieve a healing effect. During treatment, it is also important to drink more water, urinate frequently, and engage in physical exercise to effectively promote sweating, which can improve the situation. After catching a cold, it is advisable to rest and avoid excessive fatigue. The diet should be light and easy to digest, avoiding stimulating and cold food. (Medication should be used under the guidance of a professional doctor.)

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Is an air conditioning cold a wind-heat cold?

The so-called air conditioning cold refers to a cold phenomenon caused by setting the air conditioning temperature too low, which makes patients overchilled. The clinical symptoms of such patients are mainly those of a cold caused by wind-cold, primarily characterized by a runny nose, nasal congestion, and clear watery nasal discharge, along with an itchy throat and coughing. Of course, these patients may also experience varying degrees of fever. Therefore, air conditioning-induced colds typically occur in the summer, and it is necessary to combine the patient’s clinical symptoms to determine the specific type of cold, which is generally dominated by wind-cold colds.