What’s the Difference Between a Cold and the Flu?
Is the thought of getting sick with a cold or flu on your radar more this year than it has been in the past? It most likely is, given all of the media and social attention surrounding the arrival and reappearance of the swine flu or, as more recently labeled, the H1N1 virus. But when it comes right down to it, most people don’t know whether they’re suffering from a cold or flu.
Prior to 1980, a socially popular notion held that a flu included nausea and vomiting; otherwise, it was thought to be a cold. Today most people don’t oversimplify their definition of the flu to that extent, but despite a great deal of public education on the subject, there still remains a general lack of clarity on the difference between the two virus groups and their respective outcomes.
It’s Not As Simple As a Single Virus
First of all, there isn’t one single virus that causes the common cold, just as there’s no lone culprit responsible for the flu. The common cold can be caused by hundreds of different viruses, most of them belonging to the rhinovirus variety. On average, kids get between four and eight colds per year. As we age, we become a bit less susceptible, catching an average of two to four colds per year. But with so many different cold viruses floating around the globe, it’s no wonder that there is no single “cold shot” to boost our immunity to colds. We also can’t do it on our own; our bodies are unable to build-up and maintain resistance to multiple pathogens.
How Do You Know You’re Catching a Cold?
Ever have that tingling, scratchy or burning sensation at the back of your nose or throat and you knew a cold was imminent? That feeling is probably the number one harbinger that your body is about to go to battle with an undesirable opponent. Other symptoms include sneezing, nasal discharge, cough, headache, fatigue and, in children, perhaps a mild fever. If it’s a cold, it usually runs its course in two to five days, but some can linger on up to a week. Most of us have had the “twenty-four hour bug”. That’s not a particular brand of virus – it could simply be that at that point in time our body was in prime condition to fight and claim a quick victory over the opponent.
Many people believe that the cold has turned into an infection when their mucous has a yellow or dark tone. Experts say that this is not necessarily the case. But involving your physician is a good idea, particularly in cases where symptoms get worse instead of better after three days. Personal health history and existing medical conditions can, of course, play a significant role in an individual’s ability to fight any virus and can quickly lead to infections and secondary complications.
What Are the Signs That This is Probably The Flu?
We are learning that the symptoms of H1N1 and seasonal flu are similar. With either one, flu symptoms come on very quickly and are more severe than that of the common cold. The usual cold symptoms are also common to the flu. Upper and lower respiratory congestion, coughing, sneezing, mucous discharge, headache, fever, chills, muscle ache and fatigue are all associated with the flu. The H1N1 may also bring nausea and vomiting to the mix. Sounds like a nice assortment of ailments, doesn’t it?
The flu usually lasts longer than the cold, with most symptoms improving gradually within two to five days, but it seems that many people stricken with flu continue to feel lousy beyond a week. The flu makes people feel miserable, whereas a cold is more commonly connected to feeling “under the weather”. You know when you have a particular brand of the common cold – the “head cold”, for example – and it goes away in a few days. That was very likely not the flu.
Fever is one of the biggest determinants of the flu. Take your or your child’s temperature. If it’s running at or over 101° Fahrenheit (38.0° Celsius), it’s likely the flu. (Children can get a mild fever from a cold, but it is rarely over 101° Fahrenheit for longer than a day.) Higher temperatures are also common, particularly for children suffering from the flu.
Colds and flu can lead to infections like bronchitis, sinus infection, strep throat, sinusitis and more, so when in doubt, see a physician. As well, be on the lookout for fever that climbs to or above 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.3° Celsius), earache, chest pain, shortness of breath or cases in which symptoms disappear and then return after a few days. These are signals that a doctor should be seen.
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