What Is the Difference Between the Cold and the Flu?
We’ve all been there before. The runny nose. Those aches and pains. That terrible cough. Knowing that we are indeed feeling under the weather while experiencing any of these tell-tale signs of a respiratory illness is a certainty. However, diagnosing whether it’s the flu or just a common cold can create a whole new set of challenges.
Cold Symptoms 101
The common cold is a viral infection that effects your nose and throat. Various types of viruses – though most aren’t serious – can attack your upper respiratory tract, rhinoviruses being the most common of the bunch.
Cold viruses are spread via tiny droplets that travel through the air whenever someone who is infected sneezes, coughs, or speaks. These contagious droplets are either inhaled directly or they are transferred from different objects, coming into contact with your mouth, nose, or eyes.
Cold symptoms typically start with a sore throat. After about two days, these symptoms lighten up, but they give way to runny noses, nasal congestion, and usually a cough. It is uncommon for adults to have a fever with a common cold.
All in all, colds usually last for about a week total. Those who are infected are considered contagious for the first three days that their symptoms develop. If your cold lasts longer than a week, you may actually have a bacterial infection, which will require antibiotics.
You may also confuse your cold symptoms with allergies or a sinus infection. Again, follow the one-week rule and seek your doctor’s advice if these symptoms persist.
When is it really the flu instead?
The flu, or influenza, is a contagious respiratory illness. Similar to a cold, the flu is caused by viruses infecting the nose, throat, and lungs. Likewise, these viruses travel through the air, and are passed down by person to person contact. The flu virus can be spread to others by those who are infected from a distance of about six feet.
And, just like cold symptoms, people who have the flu are most contagious in the first three to four days after the start of their illness.
Some flu symptoms include the following:
- fatigue
- coughing
- sore throat
- runny or stuffy nose
- chills
- headaches
- body aches
So, what are the differences?
In most situations, the flu is simply worse than the common cold. Not only are symptoms more intense than with colds, but they can potentially be life-threatening.
The flu is more likely to lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia, ear infections, or other chronic illnesses. It is estimated that some 200,000 people become hospitalized with the flu every year in the United States. Groups of adults that are particularly at risk include those who are 65 and older, women who are pregnant, and people who have cancer or HIV/AIDS.
Fever temperature is also a key difference when it comes to colds and the flu. Fever temperatures rarely reach above 101 degrees with common cold symptoms, whereas, with the flu, you will likely have an initial fever as symptoms kick in.
Body and muscle aches are an additional difference that can help you determine if you are dealing with a cold or influenza, as such symptoms are far more prevalent when you have the flu.
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