The common cold is the most common disease in our daily life. It is generally divided into wind-heat cold and wind-cold cold. Due to the different etiology and symptoms, there are differences in treatment methods. However, many people often enter the wrong treatment zone because they do not know how to distinguish between different types of colds. They randomly use medication and treat the cold carelessly, resulting in worsening of the cold. Below, I will summarize several common misconceptions in the treatment of colds.
(1) Treating a cold with vinegar
Vinegar does have a certain disinfecting and health-promoting effect. Fumigating the room with vinegar may also have some preventive effect on colds. However, not all colds can be effectively treated by drinking vinegar. Drinking vinegar, especially long-term consumption, can damage the gastric mucosa, causing stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and even acute gastritis. In addition, drinking vinegar can also affect the acid-base balance of the body, leading to electrolyte imbalance and affecting health.
(2) Treating a cold with exercise
Some people believe that exercising and sweating after a cold can treat the cold. In fact, this understanding is incorrect. After a cold, body temperature rises, metabolism accelerates, energy consumption increases, and coupled with loss of appetite and decreased resistance, if intense exercise is performed in this situation, it will further increase energy consumption in the body, weaken resistance, and be detrimental to the treatment of the cold. Clinical medical research shows that proper rest, drinking plenty of water, and a balanced diet are the correct methods for treating a cold.
(3) Treating a cold with ginger soup
There has long been a folk habit of drinking ginger syrup to treat a cold. In fact, not all remedies in traditional Chinese medicine are effective, and blindly drinking ginger syrup to dispel cold and treat a cold without distinguishing the type of cold is incorrect. Traditional Chinese medicine divides colds into wind-cold and wind-heat types. Ginger has the function of dispersing wind and cold, so drinking ginger syrup to treat wind-cold colds is acceptable, but using it to treat wind-heat colds is obviously wrong.
(4) Treating a cold with antibiotics
There is a widespread phenomenon of using antibiotics to treat colds, and the use of antibiotics is escalating. In fact, this method is not only incorrect but also harmful. Antibiotics are ineffective against cold viruses, and long-term and large-scale use of antibiotics can harm human health. Therefore, for simple colds without concurrent infection symptoms, antibiotics are not necessary. If complications occur and bacterial infections occur, reasonable use of antibiotics can be based on medical diagnosis.
