How to Tell the Difference Between a Cold and the Flu

It’s more important than you know...

I used to think I’d gotten the flu every year for the last six years, but, as I’ve recently discovered, it was probably just a cold each time.

To be honest, I always just assumed it was the flu because I would get it in the middle of winter and was clearly very uneducated about the subject. However, it turns out that these diseases are not the same at all, and understanding the difference is very important, since the flu is not as common as the cold and can lead to other extremely serious health issues.

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Even though the two diseases can be contracted in similar ways—exposure to the virus through contact with an infected person or through air particles carrying the virus—they are very different. Influenza produces much more severe symptoms than the common cold and is contagious for a much longer time. So, to help you keep on top of these diseases, here are the basics for telling the difference between a cold, and the flu.

The flu is not here to play

Influenza is not a small-time crook that robs one jewellery store and gets arrested immediately. It’s literally a serial killer that invites other serial killers into its game. Diseases like pneumonia and bronchitis can often be found piggy-backing off the flu’s path of destruction, and flu victims can find themselves hospitalised, and, in absolute worst-case scenarios, dead. This is a blunt way of putting it, but hopefully now I have your attention as to why understanding the difference between a cold and influenza is so crucial.

When should you involve the doc?

Not every sniffle warrants a visit to the doctor, but the flu is no sniffle.  A cold and the flu need to be treated very differently.

Colds can certainly feel like hell, but they’re relatively tame. A cold, generally, just causes its victim to feel out of sorts, under the weather or, frankly, really crappy. Someone with the flu, however, can experience a fever, chills (often at the same time), powerful headaches and general body-aches. Vomiting and/or diarrhoea is also not uncommon for flu victims. So if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, a trip to the doctor really should be in order.

Taking it up a notch

The flu not only presents symptoms generally not associated with a cold, but often intensifies the shared symptoms. Aches are worse with the flu. Coughing is more intense. Overall, the body experiences a much more severe reaction to the flu virus than that of the common cold, which would undoubtedly be most unpleasant.

Influenza: fast and clingy

Colds and influenza operate at different speeds. For one, the flu can often start very abruptly. A cold generally tends to build and gets worse and worse for the first couple of days, but influenza wastes no time in attacking its host. Not only does it start without warning, flu symptoms can hang around for a long time! A cold, generally, is gone within a week, aside from some mild sniffling. The flu, on the other hand, can cling to its victim for many weeks.

Overall, influenza is nasty! It’s important to recognise the difference because these diseases vary in the basic symptoms, and can lead to some serious s***. Just keep these facts in mind the next time you get sick. And remember to get the flu shot ASAP!

For more information on the subject, check out Health Direct.

Photo: NBC