How to Determine Whether a Child's Cold Is Due to Wind-Heat or Wind-Cold
Disease description:
Recently, the child from my younger sister's family has had a runny nose, but it's unclear whether it's due to wind-heat or wind-cold type of common cold. Therefore, I would like to inquire how to differentiate between wind-heat and wind-cold types of pediatric colds.
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Zhou Xiaofeng
To determine whether a child's cold is due to wind-heat or wind-cold, the following aspects can be observed:
1. Symptom presentation:
Main symptoms of wind-heat感冒 include fever, headache, sore throat, cough with yellow and thick phlegm, nasal congestion, yellow nasal discharge, and thirst. In contrast, wind-cold感冒 typically presents with fever, chills, absence of sweating, nasal congestion, clear nasal discharge, cough with thin, white phlegm, headache, and muscle aches.
2. Tongue coating and tongue body:
In wind-heat感冒, the tongue coating is usually yellow or greasy-yellow, and the tongue body tends to be red. In wind-cold感冒, the tongue coating is typically thin and white, and the tongue body is pale.
3. Pulse condition:
The pulse in wind-heat感冒 is generally floating and rapid, whereas in wind-cold感冒, it is usually floating and tight.
Please note that these methods of differentiation are not absolutely definitive. If necessary, seek medical attention promptly and follow the diagnosis and treatment advice of a qualified healthcare professional.
