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During the winter months, we have all felt under the weather. We go to our nearest pharmacy to find OTC products that will reduce our symptoms just enough to get through the day. But have you ever wondered if what you've come down with is actually the flu or the cold or that you are correctly treating the bug you've caught? The flu and cold symptoms are very similar that they are often confused with one another.
What symptoms will I have with the flu?
One key difference between the flu and the common cold is that you feel the flu symptoms sooner than you would feel cold symptoms. Also, flu symptoms will have down a much greater intensity. Some symptoms of the flu include: weak and fatigueness for about 2-3 weeks, muscle aches, and periods of chills and sweat as fever comes and goes. Stuffy or runny nose, headache and sore throat may be present.
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What are the key difference between the cold and the flu?
Please see the table below.
What are some complications from the cold or flu?
Some complications from a cold include: sinus congestion or an earache. The flu can lead to some severe complications including: bronchitis, pneumonia, or death.
How can I prevent the cold or the flu?
Washing your hands: This is the single best measure to prevent the transmission of colds. Especially after an active day of shopping, going to the gym, school, or being present in any public place, washing your hands can destroy viruses that you may have gotten from touching objects that others may have touched. Hand sanitizers are also beneficial.
Avoid touching your face: If you have been around someone with a cold, you do not want to touch your nose, eyes, or mouth. Cold viruses grow and multiply in the nose. The
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highest concentration of cold viruses are present in nasal secretions in the first 3 days of the cold and this is when the infected person is the most contagious.
Don't smoke: Cigarette smoke can irritate the airways and increase susceptibility to colds and other infections. Even exposure to passive smoke can make you (or your children) more vulnerable to colds.
Maintain a healthy lifestyle: While there isn't direct evidence to show that eating well or exercising can prevent colds, maintenance of a healthy lifestyle, with adequate sleep, good nutrition and physical exercise can help ensure that your immune system is in good condition and ready to fight infection if it occurs.
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