Protecting Yourself This Respiratory Infection Season.

Influenza (Flu) or Cold: Its Symptoms, Different Test & Preventive Measures

It is tricky to tell whether you suffer from a common cold or the flu. Both diseases affect your respiratory tract and have common symptoms. Both diseases are contagious but the cold is mild and takes around a week or 10 days to recover. Whereas with flu, you can recover in around two weeks and its symptoms are severe. It can also lead to complications like bronchitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, etc.

As both cold and flu are caused by viruses instead of bacteria, antibiotics don't work in these diseases.

If you have a cold or flu, then you must contact a doctor in case you have the below-mentioned symptoms:

        Continuous fever: If you have a fever for over three days, you must contact a doctor as it can be a bacterial infection.

         Painful swallowing: It is common to experience mild discomfort in the throat during flu or cold but severe pain indicates strep throat, which needs medical attention.





         Continuous coughing: If you haven't recovered from the cough in 2-3 weeks, it may be a case of bronchitis that needs antibiotics. Sinusitis and asthma can also lead to continuous coughing.

     Headache and congestion: If the cold has caused blockage or congestion in the sinus passage, it may result in a sinus infection. Contact your doctor if you experience watery eyes with a thick nasal discharge after a week. It could be a bacterial infection that should be treated with antibiotics.

 

Do You Have the Flu or a Cold?

How can you determine whether you have a cold or flu? Initially, flu and cold have common symptoms like cough, nasal congestion, malaise, aches, etc. A common factor is that you may not experience a fever above 101 degrees if you are having a cold. But you may expect a high fever if you are down with the flu. Muscle and body ache is also common in the flu.

However, the most reliable way to know if you are affected by the flu is to get yourself tested. 

 

 

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