Cold or Flu – How To Tell The Difference

Greetings everyone.

I know the season is almost over but with unpredictable weather around there have been some late season colds etc showing up. Whilst this has little to do with the weather really, they are viruses, I thought it would be a good time to clear up the differences between the two as many folks are confused by symptoms.

Cold symptoms restrict themselves to the upper respiratory tract, in other words from the shoulders down, you feel pretty good. The flu comes on quickly and produces an all over sick feeling.

SYMPTOM                                    COMMON COLD                                     FLU

Onset                                                        Gradual                                                       Abrupts and Dramatic

Nose                                                        Drippy                                                         Congested

Throat                                                      Scratchy                                                      Sore

Chest                                                 Slight cough as symptoms wain                  Severe and lingering

Head                                                  Light headache                                            Strong headaches

Muscle Aches                                    Absent                                                            Present

Chills/Fever                                     Absent or low grade                                       Present usually

Sesitivity to Light                            Absent                                                          Sometimes present

Fatigue                                            Absent                                                           Present

Appetite Loss                                 Absent                                                             Present

These are the most common symptoms of the common cold and general flu. There are several strains of influenza virus some of which can cause severe bowel upsets and cramping along with high fevers, these are best medically diagnosed by a Doctor so if you have these symptoms get to the doctor.

Hope this has helped.

Have a great day!

Craig Hitchens. B.HSc.