Is it a cold or flu?

Do you have the sniffles? Maybe you have aches and pains, plus a sore throat and cough. Would you be able to tell the difference between the two? Both the cold and the flu are viral and have similar symptoms, however, a dose of influenza has a longer duration, and the symptoms are more severe as it progresses. A cold doesn’t require the same type of care that the flu does and is shorter in duration. But, whatever it is you have, cold or flu, they both are chock-full of symptoms.

When you have a cold you may have mild aches and pains, a stuffy head, sinus pressure, a sore throat, and a wet or dry cough. Sometimes a low grade fever is present, but this fever does not last long, sometimes only a half day. In severe colds the duration can be a week, perhaps longer. Fatigue is another common symptom.

The flu has more severe symptoms. Influenza will cause all of the same cold-like signs, though they are more severe. Flu fatigue can make you so tired that you cannot function normally. Aches and pains can become very strong, some patients describe the pain as knife-like.

The flu mutates every year, and new vaccines must be created for every new strain. This means that many people will be infected before a vaccine is completed. Some strains evolve in animals and are not passed to humans, though like the swine flu the ‘jump’ does occur. Humans do not have immunity to these animal incubated viruses.

The common cold has no vaccine, nor is one planned due to the mild nature of the cold. Even though colds and flu are both viral, anti-viral drugs are not used unless the case is severe. Very young, or very old patients may receive anti-viral drugs when the flu is causing them distress. Certain strains of the flu may attack healthy adults between the typical risk demographics, when this happens there is a possibility of epidemic. The recent H1N1 strain was such an example.

If you have symptoms of a cold or flu, it may take tests to determine if you are actually suffering from the flu in the very early stages. Because the symptoms are so similar most doctors take a ‘wait and see’ approach in the first few days. Requesting antibiotics will not help the symptoms as antibiotics are not effective against a virus.

According to a study by the the American Lung Association, Hispanics are hit particularly hard by influenza, with up to 9.5 million contracting the flu in an average year, having a yearly flu shot can help you reduce the chances of coming down sick, you can get a shot very quickly and cheaply at many drug stores and pharmacies. If you are already suffering from the flu, it is important to visit a doctor if your symptoms become severe. Flu that is not treated can cause you to develop pneumonia, it can even become fatal in some people.