What is the difference between Cold and Flu?

Flu and cold are known to be two respiratory illnesses that people may have. They are both caused by viruses but they have some differences that will help you determine which one you have. You can tell which one you have depending on the symptoms that you are experiencing.

When you have a runny or a stuffy nose, you are likely to have a cold. If you have a dry or hacking cough, you are more likely to have the flu. People who have colds may sometimes experience mild tiredness or fatigue. Those who have the flu may have moderate to high fever. People will also experience stronger feelings of fatigue when they have the flu.

Both cold and flu are common respiratory illness which is caused by different vectors and pathogens. They, however, have similar symptoms making citing differences more difficult. To start with, cold is mild when compared with flu, which is worse. Symptoms of flu include fever, pains and body aches, extreme fatigue, headache, dry cough, and congestion. At the same time, the symptoms of a cold are sore throat, a runny nose, which could be stuffy at times. Adults do not really experience fever when having a cold, but it is, however, common in infants and kids. Patients do not get serious health complications when they are down with a cold, unlike what they get when having flu. Complications such as pneumonia, infections, and so on are common complications that come with flu. Cold can bring people down to sickbed for just a few days, while some people can even cope with it while symptoms of flu can make individuals sick for several weeks.

The common cold and the flu are often assumed to be the same. They have some differences that will make them easier to distinguish. They are respiratory illnesses so their symptoms are often the same. One thing that is different is the intensity of the symptoms that are being experienced. Colds will not result in more serious diseases. Flu, on the other hand, will always have the possibility of worsening over time and resulting to even more serious diseases if left untreated. Usually, colds will make you experience a runny and stuffy nose. People with flu may develop pneumonia, other bacterial infections, and so much more.

Cold and flu are two types of illnesses that a person can experience. They may have similar symptoms, but they are different from one another. Symptoms that they have in common including coughing and congestion. There are ways to tell them apart through the other symptoms that a person will experience. A person with the flu may have body pain, a fever, and migraines.

A person with a code normally has a sore throat or a runny nose. Children with colds also may experience fevers. Another difference between them is in regards to their severity. Flus are more severe and can have other complications that a cold will not.

You should realize by now that even if cold and flu have similar symptoms, there are some differences that you should know. One difference between the two is that they are caused by two different types of viruses. The flu will have a tendency to become more difficult to treat, especially since it can usually progress into other respiratory diseases that will be considered to be more serious. The symptoms that you would usually feel when you have the flu are going to be more intense as compared to the symptoms that you will experience when you have colds. Take note that flu is also known to come with some serious complications, so it is best that you will monitor your symptoms always.

Anytime you see people asking if there is any difference between flu and cold, it is because they cannot clearly differentiate between some of the symptoms of the two illnesses. Though both have similar symptoms, the symptoms associated with flu are very serious than the ones associated with the common cold. The majority of patients suffering from flu will have symptoms such as headache, fever, fatigue, body aches, cough, etc.

However, some of the symptoms of the common cold include running nose, sore throat, and at times you see children having fever due to cold, though this is very rare in adults. Unlike the flu that can lead to serious health complications, the common cold doesn't lead to severe health cases. Another difference is that symptoms associated with the common cold can go in few days, but the symptoms associated with flu can continue for weeks, and that is why it needs to be treated on time to avoid further complications.