It's Cold and Flu Season - Do You Know the Difference Between the Two?

The change of the season brings on the cold and flu season. It seems that everyone you speak to is either coming down with, or just getting over a sickness.

The symptoms of the common cold and influenza to share some of the same characteristics and this has caused a lot of confusion as to being able to tell the difference between the two. Do you ride out your sickness just hoping that it is the common cold and not the more serious influenza or do you call your doctor and schedule an appointment? It's hard to always know.

If you go to a drugstore and walk down the "cold and flu" isle, your confusion will not be cleared up. Because the symptoms of the common cold and influenza can be similar, the pharmaceutical companies have lumped both together with products for "severe cold and flu". Although the symptoms can seem similar, they are not the same.

The Common Cold

We'll start with the three most common symptoms of the common cold. They are nasal stuffiness, sneezing, and runny nose. Occasionally you will have a soar throat with a cold but it shouldn't be a red looking soar throat. As for a fever, older children and adults usually range from no fever to a slight rise in temperature. It is common for infants and toddlers to have a fever in the 101 to 102 range.

What is important to remember is that although you may have some body aches, changes in appetite and tiredness, the common cold is primarily a head cold. The major symptoms usually last about seven days but lingering effects such as a cough could last for an additional week.

Influenza

The flu comes on very suddenly. Both adults and children will have a severely raised temperature ranging from 102-106 (adults on the lower end). Along with the fever, malaise, a flushed face, and severe body aches are generally the first symptoms of the flu. Vomiting and dizziness are also common symptoms. The fever will very commonly last for about 2 days but it is not uncommon to run a fever for up to 5 days.