COLD or FLU

If you wake up sneezing and coughing and have that achy, feverish, listless feeling, is it because of a cold or the flu?  Knowing the difference between the symptoms is important because cold symptoms can make you feel bad for a few days, whereas flu symptoms can make you feel sick for several days to weeks.  The flu can also result in significant health problems such as pneumonia and hospitalizations.  

COLD or FLU
By Pierre Mouchette | Bits-n-Pieces

The Common Cold
 
What are common cold symptoms?
Common cold symptoms usually begin with a sore throat, which goes away after a day or two.  Nasal symptoms, runny nose, and congestion follow, with a cough on the fourth and fifth days.  A fever is uncommon, but a slight one may be possible in adults, whereas children are more prone to have a fever with a cold.
Usual cold symptoms include having the nose abound with watery nasal discharges for the first few days.  Later, these become thicker and darker.  Dark mucus, although natural, does not mean you have developed a bacterial (sinus) infection. 
Sometimes cold symptoms are mistaken for allergic rhinitis (hay fever) or a sinus infection.  If the cold symptoms begin quickly and improve after a week, it is a cold, not an allergy.  If your cold symptoms do not appear to improve after a week, consult your doctor to find out if you have developed an allergy or sinusitis.
 
How long do cold symptoms last?
Cold symptoms usually last about a week.  During the first three days of cold symptoms, you are contagious.  It means you can pass the cold to others, so stay home and give your body some rest.  If symptoms do not appear to improve after a week, you might have a bacterial infection, meaning you may need antibiotics.

The Common Flu
 
What are typical flu symptoms?
Symptoms of flu include sore throat, fever (above 100.4°F), headache, chills, muscle aches and soreness, runny or stuffy nose, congestion, and dry cough.  Swine flu is also associated with vomiting and diarrhea.  People with flu usually feel sick for two to five days and continue to experience symptoms for another five days.  After that, they will experience feeling tired and run down for an additional two or three weeks.
 
A typical flu complication is pneumonia, especially in the young, elderly, or those with lung or heart problems.  If you experience shortness of breath, tell your doctor.  Another common sign of pneumonia is a fever after being gone for a day or two.
 
Like cold viruses, flu viruses enter the body through mucous tissues of the nose, eyes, or mouth.  Whenever you touch your hand to one of these areas, you could infect or reinfect yourself with a virus, making it very important to keep the hands germ-free with frequent washing.
 
 
Focusing On the Symptoms
 
Is the symptom flu or cold?
Medical experts recommend taking your temperature because flu symptoms often mimic cold symptoms, but a common cold rarely has symptoms of fever above 101 degrees.  Additionally, body and muscle aches are also more common with the flu.  The following table will qualify some of the fundamental differences between the two by symptoms. 

SYMPTOMS	COLD	FLU
​Fever	Usually Mild	Usual Higher (100-102 F, occasionally higher, particularly in young children), lasts 3 to 4 days
Aches and Pains	Slight	Usual, often severe
Chest Discomfort, Cough	Mild to moderate, Moderate hacking	Common, can become severe
Extreme Exhaustion	Never	Usually, at the very beginning
Fatigue and Weakness	Sometimes	Usual, it can last 2 to 3 weeks
Headache	Occasionally	Common
Sneezing	Usual	Sometimes
Sore Throat	Common	Sometimes
Stuffy Nose	Common	Sometimes
Complications	Sinus congestion, middle ear infection	Sinusitis, bronchitis, ear infection, and pneumonia, may be life-threatening
Prevention	Wash hands often, avoid close contact with anyone with a cold	Wash hands frequently, avoid close contact with anyone who has flu symptoms, get your annual flu vaccine
Treatment	Decongestants, pain reliever/fever reducer medicines	Over-the-counter decongestants, pain relievers, or fever reducers.  Over-the-counter cough or cold medicines should not be given to young children.  Contact your DOCTOR for more information about treatment

Although flu and cold are both respiratory illnesses, they are caused by different viruses, with both types of illnesses sharing similar symptoms.  Usually, the flu is worse than a cold, with more intense symptoms.  Colds do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations, but the flu can have serious associated complications.
 
FYI - viruses spread both the flu and the common cold.  The viruses are contained in water droplets from the nose and mouth when the infected person sneezes or coughs.  These droplets can land on surfaces, contaminating them with flu or cold virus traces.  To minimize the risk of contagion, you should:

• Wash your hands frequently, especially before touching your mouth and eating food using your hands.
• Regularly wipe down surfaces that tend to be used by others, such as door handles and keyboards.
• Always cough and sneeze into a tissue and dispose of it properly.

Because there are many types of cold viruses, creating a vaccine for the common cold is impossible.  But for the flu, there is a vaccine.  This vaccine changes annually as different strains of the flu emerge.  Unfortunately, the vaccine does not provide 100% immunity, but it will significantly reduce the chances of catching the flu.  It is highly recommended that you get an annual vaccine.  Especially if you:

• are pregnant
• are aged 50 or over
• have a severe medical condition
• live in a residential or nursing home
• care for people at risk of flu complications
• are a healthcare professional

 
When should you call your healthcare professional with flu or cold symptoms?
If you have flu or cold symptoms, you should call your doctor.  Particularly if you also have any of the following symptoms:

• Persistent fever - a fever lasting more than three days can signify another bacterial infection that should be treated.
• Painful swallowing - although a sore throat from a cold or flu can cause mild discomfort, intense pain might mean strep throat, which requires treatment by a physician.
• Persistent coughing - when a cough does not go away within two or three weeks, it could be a bronchial infection, which may need an antibiotic.  Postnasal drip or sinusitis may also result in a persistent cough.  Additionally, asthma is another cause of persistent coughing.
• Persistent congestion and headaches - when colds and allergies cause congestion and blockage of sinus passages, they can cause sinus infection (sinusitis).  If you have pain around the eyes and face with thick nasal discharge after a week, you might have a bacterial infection and possibly need an antibiotic. 

In some circumstances, it may be necessary to get emergency medical attention right away.
In adults, signs of crises can include:

• Severe chest pain
• Severe headache
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Persistent vomiting

In children, additional signs of an emergency are:

• Difficulty breathing or rapid breathing
• Bluish skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Lethargy and failure to interact normally
• Extreme irritability or distress
• Symptoms that were improving and then suddenly worsen
• Fever with a rash

 
Prevention

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Can I prevent flu or cold symptoms?
Employing the following methods are a significant first step to prevention!

• Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of microbes on them.  But it is not enough to rinse your hands or wash them quickly.  To thoroughly remove the risk of infection, you should wash with warm running water and soap, scrubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds and up to a full minute.  Scrub all surfaces of your hands, including wrists, between fingers, under your nails, and over the back of your hands.  In public situations - once you have cleaned your hands thoroughly, use a towel to open the door and leave the restroom immediately.  
  
• Get your flu vaccine to prevent seasonal influenza.  Seasonal flu activity in the United States generally peaks between late December and early March.  Within two weeks of getting a flu vaccine, antibodies develop in the body and protect against the flu.  Children receiving the vaccine for the first time need two doses delivered one month apart.