Wind-Cold Cold (Feng Han Gan Mao) commonly occurs in cold seasons, such as winter, late autumn, and early spring, and is caused by the invasion of cold pathogens. Symptoms of Wind-Cold Cold include mild fever, severe chills, absence of sweating, headache, body aches, clear nasal discharge, cough, no redness or swelling in the throat, pale red tongue, and floating tight pulse. The treatment for Wind-Cold Cold is to use warming and dispersing methods.Wind-Heat Cold (Feng Re Gan Mao) typically occurs in warmer seasons, such as spring, early summer, and early autumn, and is caused by the invasion of wind-heat pathogens. Symptoms of Wind-Heat Cold include high fever, mild chills, sweating or little sweating, headache, nasal congestion, sore throat, red tongue, and rapid pulse. The treatment for Wind-Heat Cold is to use cooling and dispersing methods.Symptoms of Cold in Newborns The symptoms of colds in newborns can be compared as follows:1. Sweating: No sweating—Wind-Cold, Sweating—Wind-Heat.Wind-Cold Cold—no sweating: fever (high fever), headache, joint pain, body aches.Wind-Heat Cold—sweating: fever (not very high), sweating, aversion to wind, aversion to cold.2. Phlegm: Clear and thin—Wind-Cold, thick and turbid—Wind-Heat. Clear and thin generally indicates Wind-Cold, while thick and turbid generally indicates Wind-Heat.3. Nasal discharge: Clear discharge—Wind-Cold, yellow discharge—Wind-Heat.4. Causes: Fatigue—Wind-Cold, constipation—Wind-Heat.Wind-Cold Cold is usually caused by fatigue, lack of rest, combined with exposure to wind or cold.Wind-Heat Cold is usually caused by constipation; typically, after two days of constipation, a sore throat may develop for one or two days, followed by cold symptoms, which indicates Wind-Heat Cold (it can also be an external heat pathogen primarily affecting the lungs).When a baby has a cold, parents may immediately think of giving medicine. However, there is no medication that can speed up the disappearance of a virus. Providing the baby with plenty of fluids and ensuring adequate rest can often alleviate cold symptoms and prevent further deterioration. For babies under four months, it is best to provide breast milk or formula. At four months, babies can start drinking some water, and by six months, they can begin to have fruit juice.Additionally, one of the most uncomfortable symptoms of a cold in babies is nasal congestion. Since most babies under four years old cannot blow their noses, you might try the following methods to help relieve their nasal congestion:Tilt the baby’s head back and drop a few drops of over-the-counter saline solution into their nostrils to moisten and soften the mucus. After a few minutes, use a bulb syringe to suction out the saline and mucus. If the baby’s nose is severely blocked, affecting breastfeeding, try this method 15 minutes before feeding. This way, they can breathe while sucking.How to Manage a Cold in NewbornsOne of the most uncomfortable symptoms of a cold in infants is nasal congestion. For newborns, once a cold causes nasal congestion, it can lead to breathing difficulties, especially during breastfeeding, where the baby may cry, refuse to feed, and sometimes even show cyanosis of the lips. However, since infants are so small, they cannot take medication casually, so you can try the following methods to help relieve nasal congestion:1. Saline drops: Tilt the infant’s head back and drop a few drops of over-the-counter saline solution into their nostrils to moisten and soften the mucus. After a few minutes, use a bulb syringe to suction out the saline and mucus. If the infant’s nose is severely blocked, affecting breastfeeding, try this method 15 minutes before feeding.2. Humidifier: Use a humidifier to moisten the air in the infant’s room. Alternatively, take the baby to the bathroom, turn on the hot water tap, close the door, and stay in the steamy room for 15 minutes. A warm bath can also improve nasal congestion in infants.Add peppermint oil: Adding a few drops of peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, or pine oil to a vaporizer or during the baby’s bath can help relieve nasal congestion.3. Towel elevation: Place two towels under the mattress at the head of the infant’s bed to slightly elevate one end of the mattress. Keeping the baby’s head slightly elevated while sleeping can help reduce the sensation of mucus flowing from the nasal cavity to the throat, but be careful not to elevate it too much.4. Side-lying massage technique: If the right nostril is congested, have the baby lie on their left side, and use both hands to press the Yingxiang point (迎香穴) on both sides of the nose. Repeat several times, 10 times each session, to help clear the blocked nasal passages. If the left nostril is congested, have the baby lie on their right side, making it easier for them to breathe while feeding. When infants have nasal congestion, they often cry continuously; holding the baby upright can help them fall asleep quickly.
