The flu is quite different to a cold in many ways:
The cold:
Starts gradually and lasts about a weekRunny or stuffy nose, earache and coughingSore throat with no fatigueMild headache possibleSlight fever possible, particularly in childrenComplications include sinus and ear infections.
The flu:
Hits you like a truck. All symptoms happen at once, and are intenseRunny or stuffy nose and sneezing are not common, but coughing and earache are commonSore throat with fatigueHigh fever (100-102 degrees)Headache, muscle aches and congestion improve over 2-5 days, but you feel tired and aching for up to three weeks – longer in the elderly, or people with chronic diseases and weakened immune systemsComplications include lung infections such as pneumonia, sinus and ear infections.
A doctor can take a nasal or throat swab to test whether you have a cold or the flu.
* A bacterial infection can superimpose itself on a viral illness, resulting in a prolonged illness or double-worsening – bronchitis, sinusitis, ear infections and pneumonia.
The cold:
Starts gradually and lasts about a weekRunny or stuffy nose, earache and coughingSore throat with no fatigueMild headache possibleSlight fever possible, particularly in childrenComplications include sinus and ear infections.
The flu:
Hits you like a truck. All symptoms happen at once, and are intenseRunny or stuffy nose and sneezing are not common, but coughing and earache are commonSore throat with fatigueHigh fever (100-102 degrees)Headache, muscle aches and congestion improve over 2-5 days, but you feel tired and aching for up to three weeks – longer in the elderly, or people with chronic diseases and weakened immune systemsComplications include lung infections such as pneumonia, sinus and ear infections.
A doctor can take a nasal or throat swab to test whether you have a cold or the flu.
* A bacterial infection can superimpose itself on a viral illness, resulting in a prolonged illness or double-worsening – bronchitis, sinusitis, ear infections and pneumonia.
Is it a cold, or the flu?
Before you convince yourself that you must have caught the flu, first check your symptoms.