How to differentiate between Wind-Cold Common Cold and Wind-Heat Common Cold

Written by Guo Xiao Yun
Pulmonology
Updated on January 31, 2025
00:00
00:00

The differences between colds caused by wind-cold and those caused by wind-heat mainly lie in the symptoms. Colds caused by wind-cold are due to the invasion of wind-cold into the body, often as a result of exposure to cold environments. Common symptoms include chills, cold limbs, dizziness, fatigue, and coughing up white phlegm. On the other hand, colds caused by wind-heat occur due to the invasion of wind-heat, which frequently happens in the summer. Clinically, they are characterized by symptoms such as dark urine, coughing up pus-filled phlegm, high fever, headaches, and sore, swollen throat. Whether it is a cold caused by wind-cold or wind-heat, both can lead to related discomfort in the body and need active treatment and management to prevent the condition from worsening.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Zhang Shu Kun
Traditional Chinese Medicine
37sec home-news-image

Is scraping effective for a stomach cold?

When experiencing a stomach cold, gua sha can also be quite effective. Because during gua sha, it can effectively promote the digestion of the gastrointestinal tract and also improve internal heat conditions. It's also necessary to pay close attention to diet, such as avoiding overly greasy, spicy, or cold foods, and primarily sticking to a light diet to effectively prevent worsening the condition. Additionally, it's important to rest well and you can also massage the abdomen in a clockwise direction, which can effectively help promote gastrointestinal digestion and provide substantial relief from the illness.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Hu Bai Yu
Pulmonology
51sec home-news-image

What fruits to eat when having a cold?

When you have a cold, you can eat some fruits, such as neutral fruits like peaches, grapes, kiwis, strawberries, and bananas. It is also advised that you eat a reasonable amount of vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins; vegetables such as cucumbers, loofah, small spinach, and lettuce are suitable too. It is also recommended to drink more water to enhance metabolism, improve your immunity, and meet the body's demands for various nutrients through the rich nutritional content in fruits. This helps strengthen the body and speed up recovery from illness. It is also suggested to exercise moderately to enhance physical fitness and immunity, thereby aiding faster recovery from illness. Furthermore, avoid staying up late, assure adequate sleep to enhance immunity.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Guo Xiao Yun
Pulmonology
1min 1sec home-news-image

What are the differences between a hot cold and a cold cold?

The difference between a hot cold and a cold cold mainly lies in the causes and symptoms. If a cold is mainly caused by the invasion of wind-heat evil into the body, it is clinically characterized by yellow urine, coughing up purulent sputum accompanied by high fever, headache, and sore throat discomfort. On the other hand, a cold cold is primarily caused by the invasion of wind-cold evil into the body, and it is clinically characterized by white, thin sputum, and symptoms such as chills, cold limbs, dizziness, and fatigue. Whether it is a hot cold or a cold cold, from the perspective of Western medicine, most are caused by viral infections. Therefore, taking some anti-cold medication or some traditional Chinese medicines can improve symptoms and shorten the duration of the illness.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Jian Wu
Pulmonology
38sec home-news-image

Is the sore throat caused by a cold-cold or a cold-heat cold?

Sore throat is generally caused by wind-heat cold, while wind-cold cold is caused by exposure to wind and cold, clinically manifested by mild fever, nasal congestion, runny nose, cough, and no sore throat. Wind-heat cold is caused by exposure to wind-heat, typically presenting with severe fever, chills, dry mouth, sore throat, nasal congestion, cough, and yellow phlegm. However, sore throat can also be caused by cold enclosing heat. During a cold, it is important to pay attention to a light diet and avoid eating overly greasy or spicy food.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
1min 11sec home-news-image

What should I do if I have a cold, nasal congestion, and vomiting?

A cold, commonly referred to as an upper respiratory tract infection, often occurs due to a decrease in immune function, leading to symptoms such as nasal congestion and sneezing due to viruses entering the respiratory tract. Clinical symptoms like fever and cough are most common. Some patients may also experience varying degrees of nausea, vomiting, and even loss of appetite. These symptoms are primarily considered to be caused by a gastrointestinal type of cold. Therefore, for such patients, it is first necessary to conduct relevant auxiliary examinations to determine if the symptoms are due to a viral gastrointestinal cold. Once confirmed, timely antiviral treatments and detoxification should be administered. Additionally, patients are advised to follow a bland diet, eat smaller, more frequent meals, and consume easily digestible foods. As long as the cold symptoms are effectively controlled, the symptoms of nausea and vomiting will also alleviate.