How to differentiate between cold-type cold and heat-type cold

Generally, cold-type and heat-type colds are both common types of colds in daily life. They can usually be differentiated based on clinical symptoms, causes, fever patterns, seasonality, and modes of transmission. The specific analysis is as follows:

1. Clinical Symptoms

Patients with wind-cold感冒 may experience chills, fever, headache, nasal congestion, runny nose, and cough with white phlegm; whereas patients with wind-heat感冒 typically develop sore throat, cough, yellow phlegm, and yellow nasal discharge.

2. Causes

Cold-type colds are usually caused by respiratory viruses such as rhinovirus or coronavirus, while heat-type colds are caused by influenza virus.

3. Fever Patterns

Fever in cold-type colds is often mild, with body temperature generally not exceeding 37.8°C. In contrast, high fever is one of the main characteristics of heat-type colds, with body temperature reaching above 38°C and sometimes even exceeding 39°C.

4. Seasonality

Wind-cold感冒 occurs more frequently in late autumn, winter, and early spring, whereas wind-heat感冒 is more common in late spring, summer, and early autumn.

5. Mode of Transmission

Cold-type colds typically spread through airborne droplets; when an infected person coughs or sneezes, the virus disperses into the air and can be inhaled by others. Heat-type colds can also spread via droplets, but due to the high contagiousness of the influenza virus, they are more likely to cause widespread outbreaks.

If a patient develops uncomfortable symptoms, it is recommended to seek medical attention promptly to avoid delaying treatment. It is also important to maintain healthy lifestyle habits and avoid consuming spicy or irritating foods, which may hinder recovery.