Can you drink alcohol when you have a cold and a stuffy nose?

Written by Wang Chun Mei

Pulmonology

Updated on February 03, 2025

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A cold, also known as an upper respiratory tract infection, causes patients to experience symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing due to the congestion and swelling of the nasal mucous membrane from viral or bacterial infection. Some patients may also experience fever and coughing. Therefore, for patients with upper respiratory tract infections, it is not advisable to consume alcohol. Alcohol, which is spicy and stimulating, could worsen cold symptoms. Alcohol promotes blood circulation and can exacerbate congestion and swelling of the nasal and pharyngeal mucous membranes. Consequently, drinking alcohol can intensify symptoms like nasal congestion. Thus, it is not recommended to drink alcohol when experiencing nasal congestion during a cold.

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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.)

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Symptoms of the common cold

The common cold usually manifests with symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, and coughing, often leading to a dry cough without significant phlegm. Additionally, the common cold may also accompany muscle aches, fatigue, and even headaches as general symptoms. Sometimes, patients with the common cold may also exhibit fever, though high fever is relatively rare. Regarding the common cold, the condition generally has a self-limiting nature, and symptomatic treatment usually leads to recovery. However, caution is still needed. Sometimes, the common cold can also coincide with pneumonia, although this is relatively rare. Close observation of the condition is necessary; if cold symptoms persist or are accompanied by high fever and purulent sputum, active investigation should be undertaken.

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Written by Zhai Guo Dong

Gastroenterology

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Do you need an IV for a stomach flu?

When suffering from a stomach flu, symptoms often include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bloating. If the symptoms are mild, it is recommended that patients take some antispasmodic and pain relief medications orally. In terms of diet, it is best to avoid irritant foods and consume oral rehydration salts to prevent electrolyte imbalance and significant fluid loss. If the patient experiences severe diarrhea, it is advisable to appropriately supplement with sugar and electrolyte solutions or liquids. If the condition worsens, the use of antibiotics and antiviral medications may be considered.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei

Pulmonology

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Do you still need to take cold medicine for a cough in the later stages of a cold?

Patients with colds are generally caused by viral infections and are often self-limiting diseases, usually recovering completely within about a week. In a minority of patients, different degrees of cough may occur later on. For such cases, where there is throat itchiness and varying degrees of dryness in the throat, or even cough symptoms, it is generally not necessary to continue with cold medicine. Instead, antiviral medications and throat-clearing drugs can be used for symptomatic treatment to relieve the cough that appears later. As for the later cough, if it is a dry cough, use some cough suppressants. If there is phlegm with the cough, appropriate cough suppressants should also be used, along with antibiotics for symptomatic treatment, to provide relief. However, the use of cold medicines that relieve nasal congestion and runny nose is generally not advised at this stage.

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Symptoms of gastroenteritis

Generally, in cases of gastrointestinal-type colds, in addition to some common cold symptoms, there are also symptoms related to the digestive system. These include a decreased appetite, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and even constipation. There is also discomfort in the stomach and intestines, along with symptoms of indigestion. It is important to be aware of gastrointestinal colds which, apart from symptoms like nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose, and coughing up phlegm, also involve gastrointestinal symptoms. In addition to taking cold medicines, it is necessary to use medications that regulate the gastrointestinal tract to treat and alleviate these symptoms. It is advisable to eat smaller meals more frequently, not consuming too much at once to avoid overburdening the digestive tract and causing indigestion.