Is nasal congestion the same as having a cold?

Written by Li Rui
Otolaryngology
Updated on October 21, 2024
00:00
00:00

Nasal congestion is not necessarily a cold. Cold medicine has many symptoms, with nasal congestion being one of them. However, there could be more reasons for nasal congestion. A cold is just one factor causing nasal congestion. Other reasons might include chronic rhinitis, acute rhinitis, sinusitis, deviated nasal septum, and nasal polyps. Often, these conditions are primarily due to pathological changes in the nose itself. Therefore, it is recommended to visit an otolaryngology clinic, particularly for persistent nasal congestion, and consider undergoing a nasopharyngoscopy. If needed, a sinus CT may also be considered, along with symptom assessment and additional diagnostic tests, to make a more comprehensive and accurate evaluation.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
49sec home-news-image

Can you eat chicken when you have a cold?

During the onset of a cold, it is not advisable to eat chicken as it might increase the burden on the stomach and intestines. This is due to the decreased digestive function during a cold, which may lead to symptoms of indigestion. Therefore, it is recommended to consume light, warm, and easily digestible food, drink plenty of water, and facilitate excretion during the illness phase. Eating less at this time won’t do harm. In the recovery phase, nutrition can be enhanced by introducing foods rich in high-quality protein and vitamins, including chicken, which helps in replenishing nutrients and strengthens the body to facilitate a faster recovery from the illness.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
45sec home-news-image

How to quickly cure a cold?

How to quickly cure a cold. It should be correctly recognized that a cold is usually a respiratory inflammatory reaction caused by common viral infections such as influenza viruses or parainfluenza viruses. Recovery from the illness takes time, and symptoms can only be alleviated temporarily through medication. Generally, it takes about three to seven days for a complete recovery. If symptoms include fever or headache, medications such as aminopyrine or aspirin can be taken. If symptoms include coughing or a runny nose, bromhexine hydrochloride tablets or nasal decongestant tablets can be used for symptomatic treatment. All the above medications should be taken under the guidance of a doctor.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
48sec home-news-image

How to deal with cold chills and fever?

Symptoms of a cold such as chills and fever are manifestations of chills and high fever. During this period, one should first measure the body temperature, drink plenty of water, and promptly take appropriate fever-reducing measures depending on the severity of the fever to prevent febrile convulsions. Generally, the body temperature is measured again two hours after fever reduction through physical cooling or medication. Once the body sweats, the body temperature will return to normal, and the symptoms of chills will gradually ease. If the body temperature exceeds 38.5 degrees Celsius, medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can be taken. (The use of medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
1min 2sec home-news-image

How to treat a cold with nasal congestion and dry cough?

The common cold is a very common inflammatory condition clinically, generally caused by viral infections, hence, the treatment for such patients usually needs to focus on antiviral medications. Most viral colds cause varying degrees of nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and even dry cough and itchy throat among other clinical symptoms. For such patients, treatment begins by identifying the specific pathogens causing the cold. If it is a virus, timely administration of heat-clearing and detoxifying medications is necessary, along with the appropriate use of traditional Chinese medicine to alleviate symptoms like nasal congestion and runny nose. For symptoms such as nasal congestion and dry cough, appropriate use of cough suppressant medications or nebulized inhalation may be chosen to provide symptomatic relief, with treatment effects generally being ideal around three days.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
46sec home-news-image

Which cold medicine is good?

Cold medicines cannot be compared as to which one is better or worse, as the therapeutic effect of each medicine varies from person to person due to individual differences. This means that even with the same cold and the same symptoms, if two people take the same medicine at the same time, one might find it very effective while the other might not notice significant results. Specific situations should consider the patient's constitution and specific symptoms, and choose medications under the guidance of a doctor. The principle of treating colds with medication is to treat the symptoms appropriately, and it can also be combined with antiviral drugs to kill the virus in the body, along with drinking plenty of water and resting.