Catching a cold – or even worse, the flu – is common this time of the year when close contact with others, busy schedules and stress make us even more susceptible to the many respiratory viruses circulating. But differentiating between a cold and influenza, at least initially, is not always easy.
That’s because the two can share a number of the same symptoms, including a runny/stuffy nose, sore throat and cough, said emergency medicine specialist Hans House of the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.
Where they differ is in severity, he said, a board member with the American College of Emergency Physicians. Colds tend to be relatively mild and typically last only a few days, he said, “and you can usually still function with a cold.
“When you have that high fever (102 degrees or more), and your whole body aches, and you can’t even get off the couch because you’re so miserable, that’s probably the flu,” he said.
Unlike colds, which tend to have a more gradual onset, the flu usually comes on more suddenly, Susan Rehm said, medical director of the nonprofit National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. That characteristic is one feature in the mnemonic device she recommends for identifying the flu: FACTS (fever, aches, chills, tiredness and sudden onset).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seasonal flu activity in the U.S. can begin as early as October and last as late as May, but it usually peaks in January or February.
Common colds, caused by many different viruses but very often rhinoviruses, total about 1 billion cases annually, says the CDC. The flu accounts for fewer cases – the agency says there were about 31.8 million influenza-associated illnesses and 14.4 million-related doctor visits during last year’s flu season – but it’s considered a far more severe viral infection.
“We know that about 200,000 people are hospitalized each year for flu,” Rehm said, also vice chairwoman of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Cleveland Clinic. “Complications can include bacterial pneumonia, a weakened heart muscle and even the death of (otherwise healthy) people.”
Because both the common cold and flu are caused by viruses, “neither respond to antibiotics, which only work on bacterial infections,” cardiologist Nieca Goldberg said, medical director of the Women’s Heart Program at NYU Langone Medical Center.
But many people think otherwise. In a national survey of consumers the foundation released this month, 44 percent of respondents incorrectly said antibiotics fight the flu, and 48 percent mistakenly believed flu vaccines “treat” influenza.
Is it the cold or the flu?
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases says differences include these:
Fever. Rare for a cold, common with flu. Fevers with flu can go over 102 degrees, especially in children, and can persist three or four days.
Headache. Rare for a cold, common in flu.
Aches and pains. Mild with a cold, often severe with flu.
Fatigue. Sometimes occurs with colds, but flu usually starts with a period of exhaustion, with fatigue lasting two or three weeks.
Sneezing, stuffy nose, sore throat. The most frequent symptoms of a cold also occur sometimes with flu.
Chest discomfort, cough. Mild to moderate with colds, but can be severe with flu.
Recommended for relief
This tried-and-true treatment is best for relief of cold and flu symptoms, according to the American College of Emergency Physicians:
Get plenty of rest.
Drink lots of fluids, which can thin mucus and prevent dehydration.
Over-the-counter medication, such as antihistamines, decongestants and pain and fever reducers can provide temporary relief from symptoms.
If you’re feeling very weak, running a high fever (102 degrees or higher), have trouble breathing or symptoms worsen, contact a medical care provider. The same is true if you suffer from a chronic illness, such as asthma, diabetes or congestive heart failure, which makes you more vulnerable to complications.
© 2014 USA TODAY. All rights reserved.
