Do you have a cold and cough?

Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
Updated on April 19, 2025
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A cold, also known as an upper respiratory tract infection, is commonly caused by a decrease in immune function, leading to symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, and fever due to viral invasion of the respiratory tract. Additionally, it is quite common for patients to experience varying degrees of cough during a cold. Due to the different pathogens that trigger colds, there is a significant variation in the clinical symptoms exhibited by patients. Naturally, the severity of symptoms also varies depending on the individual's immune strength. Thus, in treating colds, some patients might experience a dry cough initially and later develop a productive cough. These are both common occurrences, and effective control can be achieved with appropriate symptomatic treatment.

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Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
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What should I do if I have a cold with headache and fever?

When experiencing symptoms of a cold such as headache and fever, one should first measure their body temperature and adopt corresponding treatment measures based on the severity of the fever. Fever can cause headaches, fatigue, body aches, and may even lead to complications like nausea and vomiting. If the body temperature does not exceed 38℃ (100.4°F), one can take vitamin supplements, drink ginger tea, and use physical methods to reduce fever. If the body temperature is above 38℃ (100.4°F), one may consider taking antipyretic and pain-relieving medications like ibuprofen or aspirin to alleviate symptoms. Generally, once the body temperature returns to normal, headache symptoms will gradually improve or disappear. (The use of medications should be based on specific conditions and under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
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Can a baby take a bath when they have a cold?

When babies have a cold, it is generally not recommended to give them a bath soak, but showering is acceptable. This is because soaking for an extended period may worsen the symptoms of the cold. However, if the baby has a fever, showering with warm water can help reduce their temperature, which is an effective physical cooling measure. But if soaking in a bath, the extended time in the water and the slight dilation of pores may allow cold to penetrate further into the body, potentially worsening the cold symptoms. Therefore, under these circumstances, it is temporarily advised against giving babies a bath soak. However, a medicinal herbal bath is a different matter.

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Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
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Can I eat oysters when I have a cold?

You can eat oysters when you have a cold. However, it's important to control the amount consumed and not eat too many oysters. During a cold, the body is very weak, and eating too many oysters can increase the burden on the gastrointestinal tract. Oysters are considered a "cold" food and consuming too many can also have an adverse effect on a cold. During a cold, it's also important to eat light food and not arbitrarily add seasonings to food; overly salty or spicy foods are not advisable.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
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Is a cold with fever easy to get over?

Heat cold is also just a type of cold, and it is also quite common in clinical settings. Typically, such patients often occur in the summer, and a slight chill or getting caught in the rain can trigger the symptoms of a cold. The general clinical symptoms of a heat cold include nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and often yellow nasal discharge. Patients may also have varying degrees of fever, and during a fever, they might feel chills throughout the body, headaches, dizziness, etc. Most heat colds are caused by viral infections. Therefore, appropriate antiviral drugs and heat-clearing and detoxifying medications are given to treat the symptoms. Heat colds generally get better within about a week, especially in young people, some of whom may recover from heat cold symptoms even without medication.

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Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
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Cold symptoms also include diarrhea.

Colds may involve symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, coughing, and phlegm. If there are also symptoms like diarrhea and watery stools, it is possible that it might be a gastrointestinal type of cold. Besides the common cold symptoms, there might also be gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, acid reflux, or burping. It is recommended that in such cases, in addition to taking anti-cold medicine, one should also take medicine to regulate the spleen and stomach for treatment, such as other traditional Chinese medicines that adjust the spleen and stomach functions. It is also important to maintain a light diet, eat smaller meals frequently, and if the diarrhea is severe, anti-diarrheal medication should be taken for treatment. (The specific use of medications should be under the guidance of a doctor.)