Can you exercise when you have a cold?

Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
Updated on January 25, 2025
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After catching a cold, it is appropriate to engage in some mild exercise, such as walking or slow-paced walking. It is crucial not to partake in intense physical activities as they can lead to fatigue and a decrease in immunity, potentially worsening bacterial infections. Moreover, intense exercise can cause the sweat pores to expand, further aggravating cold symptoms. After a cold, the body tends to be weaker, so it is advisable to drink more ginger sugar water, rest adequately, and avoid spicy, greasy, and irritating foods. Drinking plenty of water is also important. If there are symptoms of fever, physical methods should be used to reduce the fever.

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Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
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What should I drink for a cold and cough?

For a cold accompanied by coughing, it is appropriate to drink some rock sugar pear water, or some stewed Fritillaria pear, or some fruit juice and vegetable juice. Drinking mung bean soup can also have a certain cough-relieving effect. Additionally, it is recommended to appropriately consume loquat pear or some honey water. Pay attention to a light diet, avoiding spicy and greasy, stimulating foods. During the coughing period, avoid seafood such as fish and shrimp, and also avoid insect-based foods. Also avoid overly sour, overly sweet, or overly greasy foods. At the same time, keep warm, avoid exposure to wind and cold, refrain from intense exercise, and engage in appropriate activities to strengthen the physique and enhance resistance.

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Written by Huang Kun Mei
Pediatrics
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What to do if a baby catches a cold?

When a child catches a cold, it's important to consider their specific symptoms. If the cold lasts no more than three days and the child is in good spirits, you can treat them with anti-viral and heat-clearing Chinese patent medicines. Their diet should be light and easy to digest, and include plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits. If the baby is exclusively breastfed and under six months old, the mother should ensure a balanced diet, consume easily digestible foods, and avoid overly greasy or spicy foods. If the child's cold persists for more than three days and symptoms like cough with phlegm appear, it's necessary to bring the child to the hospital for timely tests, such as a complete blood count and C-reactive protein, to rule out bacterial infections and provide appropriate treatment based on the child's condition. For infants with a cold, considering their underdeveloped organ functions and weaker immunity, even a common cold can easily lead to secondary viral or bacterial infections, potentially causing severe diseases like pneumonia. Therefore, it's best to take the child to the pediatric outpatient clinic for assessment and targeted treatment. If it’s inconvenient to visit a doctor, consider that most colds are caused by viruses, such as respiratory or enteroviruses. Therefore, you might treat the child at home with antiviral Chinese patent medicines and symptom-specific supportive treatments. It's also crucial to manage their diet well, as digestive functions can be compromised during a cold. Thus, meals should be small and frequent, and it's advisable to avoid hard-to-digest and potentially allergenic foods to prevent exacerbating symptoms. (The use of medication should be under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
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How long is the incubation period for a stomach flu?

Gastroenteritis, clinically, is mostly caused by viral infection, hence the incubation period for patients with viral flu typically ranges from one to three days. Due to differing immune functions, patients may exhibit varied clinical symptoms. In addition to upper respiratory infection symptoms, gastroenteritis patients often experience gastrointestinal discomfort, particularly in young infants, manifesting as nausea, vomiting, abdominal bloating, and diarrhea during the outbreak. Typically, gastroenteritis patients need a week for the infection to resolve and the healing process to complete. Thus, it is crucial in clinical practice to promptly provide antiviral and symptomatic treatment to relieve symptoms. Some mild cases can be cured, but most require appropriate medication for symptomatic treatment.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
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What is the difference between a stomach cold and a common cold?

Gastrointestinal flu and common cold have certain differences. The so-called gastrointestinal flu, clinically, often involves some viruses infecting the respiratory tract, which causes patients to have not only upper respiratory symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, coughing, fever, and throat itchiness. These patients will also experience gastrointestinal discomforts like nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, diarrhea, and a decrease in appetite. These symptoms indicate gastrointestinal flu. On the other hand, patients with a common cold typically exhibit only upper respiratory symptoms, such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, fever, throat itchiness, and coughing. Generally, a common cold does not accompany symptoms like abdominal distension, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting.

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Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
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How to treat a cold during pregnancy

If you have symptoms of a cold while pregnant, it is advised not to self-medicate blindly. Always consult a physician and use medications that are relatively safer to treat the condition so as to prevent any potential impact on the fetus. This is particularly important during the first three months of pregnancy when the baby's development is still not complete, and indiscriminate use of some medications could possibly cause developmental abnormalities in the baby. It is suggested that everyone should distinguish the type of cold they are experiencing, and then treat and alleviate symptoms through dietary therapy. For instance, for a cold caused by exposure to wind and chill, one might drink some brown sugar ginger tea or have a warm foot bath, both of which can expel the cold from the body, promote blood circulation, and relieve cold symptoms. If it's a cold caused by wind-heat, drinking herbal teas that clear heat and detoxify can be beneficial in alleviating the condition.