Being sick feels horrible and disgusting no matter what has infected you, but the distinction between different diseases could be crucial for your treatment and recovery.
However, it can be difficult for an inexperienced eye to know the difference between two respiratory diseases: a common cold and the flu or influenza.
Although they share many of the same characteristics, the flu is worse than a cold, with more intense symptoms, says the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Influenza can come with fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headaches and fatigue.
What complications exist?
It also comes with the risk of serious health complications, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections and inflammation in the heart or brain, particularly for the most vulnerable populations such as those who are already seriously ill in some way or another.
Complications can make the flu deadly: “Infection with the respiratory tract influenza virus can trigger an extreme inflammatory response in the body and can lead to sepsis, the body’s deadly response to infection,” the CDC warns. “The flu can also make chronic medical problems worse,” such as increased asthma attacks.
Influenza can also cause vomiting and diarrhea, more often in children.
Colds often cause more nasal symptoms, says the UK National Health Service, while the flu is more likely to be accompanied by fever, fatigue and muscle aches:
” A person with the flu may also have a runny nose and be prone to sneezing, but these are not usually the defining symptoms of influenza.”
CNN explained that the pains that mark a flu are signs that “your body is releasing chemicals that help your white blood cells fight the infection.” However, you should only worry if the pains become “disabling.”
Another sign may be the time you have the symptoms. Scientific American explains that while colds and the flu usually last between seven and 10 days, the flu can sometimes remain for about three to four weeks: “The flu virus may not be there, but you have symptoms much later that he is gone ».
While it is important to know the symptoms of these different diseases, it is better not to get sick at all. You can protect yourself by frequently washing your hands, among other precautions.