Recently, the temperature has dropped sharply, and there have been more people experiencing throat discomfort, coughing, and fever! Is it the same around you? Why is the respiratory tract prone to being affected in winter? How to distinguish the signal of "mixed infection"? Winter is a high-risk period for respiratory diseases due to the dual stimulation of low temperature and dryness. Multiple factors such as low temperature stimulation, dry air, and easy transmission of pathogens increase the probability of respiratory infections, acute asthma attacks, exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other lung related diseases. Wang Yu, Director of the Respiratory Department at Beijing Ditan Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University: Dry air is indeed a significant irritant to the respiratory tract, and it can reduce the secretion of respiratory mucosa. So it can easily cause damage to the human respiratory tract, and cold can also lead to a decrease in the overall function of the respiratory epithelium. In winter, due to many pathogens such as viruses, they tend to be more active at low temperatures and have a long survival time. Among the patients who have recently visited, many have experienced symptoms such as influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia, and rhinovirus infection. What are the early signs of this' mixed infection '? Liu Hongxu, Secretary of the Party Committee and Head of the Thoracic Surgery Department at Liaoning Cancer Hospital: Currently, the majority of infections are still mixed infections. We also need to learn to recognize these early "red light" signals, such as irritating cough, sore throat, yellow phlegm cough, and fever. If your body temperature is below 38 ℃, your body may be able to regulate it on its own. But for some people, temperatures above 38.5 ℃ or even 39 ℃ may have a greater impact on the human body, which is a warning signal. It is important to promptly diagnose the pathogen and receive targeted treatment for children with severe respiratory symptoms who wear appropriate clothing to avoid "covering fever". Some seemingly effective protective methods may be misconceptions, let's see how experts highlight them. In a cold climate, many parents worry that their children may catch a cold and often dress them too heavily. However, children have high activity levels and fast metabolism, and their close fitting clothes become damp after sweating, making them more prone to catching a cold when exposed to cold air. Wang Yu, Director of the Respiratory Department at Beijing Ditan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University: What does "covering fever" mean? It's just that if you dress your child too much, they may get hot after activities, and they don't know how to add or remove clothes, which can make them more prone to catching a cold or flu. In addition, antibiotics are only effective against bacteria and ineffective against viruses. In this case, giving children antibiotics not only has no effect, but also suppresses their immunity. Experts suggest that some parents may have misconceptions when their children cough. Wang Yu, Director of the Respiratory Department at Beijing Ditan Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University: If there is no phlegm in a dry cough, it is appropriate to stop coughing at this time. However, if there is phlegm in a wet cough, strong coughing is actually problematic. Phlegm refers to necrotic cells, pathogenic microorganisms, and some shed cells. At this time, you should encourage your child to cough up phlegm and give them some expectorants instead of strong cough suppressants. For elderly people with underlying diseases, if they have respiratory diseases such as colds, they should not stop taking medication for chronic diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases at will. In winter, there is no need to worry about "white" ingredients to help the lung. Traditional Chinese medicine often says that "white enters the lung". Common white ingredients include yam, lily, tremella, lotus seed, white radish, snow pear, etc. So how can these ingredients be eaten to have a significant impact? According to traditional Chinese medicine theory, white food has a sweet and moist taste, which helps to nourish yin and moisten dryness. It can alleviate discomfort symptoms such as dry mouth and cough caused by winter dryness to a certain extent. Experts suggest that the elderly, children, and individuals with poor spleen and stomach function should consume these white ingredients after cooking for better results. In addition, to protect lung health, attention should be paid to keeping the body warm and engaging in moderate exercise. Zhu Yong, Deputy Director of the Respiratory Department at Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine affiliated with Capital Medical University: Children's backs, abdomen, and feet should be kept warm. Another thing we need to do is exercise, which can enhance our physical fitness and prevent colds. Older people can benefit from gradually exercising due to some underlying diseases, such as the Eight Section Brocade, Yi Jin Jing, and Tai Chi. (New Society)