Tell The Difference Between The Flu And A Cold

With cooler weather approaching it's time to start preparing for flu and cold season again. Flu and cold infections are both upper respiratory infections caused by different viruses. They are easily the most common infectious diseases in humans. Though flu and cold infections share similarities including how they're transmitted they also have significant differences. How can you tell the difference between the flu and a cold?

Both the flu and a cold cause nasopharyngeal symptoms including sinus congestion, stuffiness, runny nose, sore throat and headache. The symptoms of flu are typically much more severe, sudden and protracted.

People with a cold tend to be inconvenienced by their illness; nevertheless, they continue their normal activities though with less enthusiasm. People with the flu are generally incapacitated for 3 to 7 days. They're going no where for a week or so.

An important way to tell the difference between the flu and a cold is the rapid onset of fever, chills, fatigue and muscle aches associated with the flu. Individuals with a cold frequently complain of feeling chilly; however, they rarely experience any significant rise in temperature.

The intensity of cough is also a difference between the flu and a cold in that the cough tends to be more severe and prolonged with the flu and less so with a cold.

A crucial difference between the flu and a cold is the availability of seasonal vaccines to protect against the flu. Immunizations to protect us against the common cold are not yet feasible since so many different viruses strains can cause a cold.

The availability of lab testing is another difference between the flu and a cold. Doctors utilize rapid office flu nasal swabs to help diagnosis a flu infection. There are currently no commercial tests available to confirm a cold.

Previously flu and cold infections both occurred primarily during the winter when people mingled together in close quarters. This has changed dramatically with the advent of the 2009 H1N1 "swine flu". The swine flu is capable of causing infections year round regardless of the outdoor ambient temperature.

A final critical difference between the flu and a cold is the availability of effective medications to shorten the duration and intensity of flu infections. Treatment for a cold remains purely symptomatic with OTC remedies.