How To Tell If It's A Cold Or The Flu

How To Know If It's A Cold Or The Flu

So how do you know if it's the pesky cold getting passed around or if it is the flu. We all know how terrible the flu can be, if we figure out which is which we could try to prepare for it or make it so it's less horrible. I don't know about you but for the longest time I could never tell the difference until it was to late and I couldn’t even lift my head up off my pillow.

Fever

Now if you have the flu, you will most likely have or get a fever. The fever is usually 100-103 degrees F and can last up to four days. If you have a cold, you temperature might rise to a mild fever but most likely not over 100 degrees F.

Body Aches & Chills

While having a cold you may have slight aches, but if you have the flu you will have aches and pains throughout your body. You may also have a headache more with the flu than you would with a cold. Now those dreaded chills, I hate the chills. It is very uncommon for you to have chills when you have the cold, but if you have the flu you will probably experiencing them a lot.

Weakness & Exhaustion

Having a cold will get you a little tired and depending how bad the cold is you might even feel a bit weak. If you have the flu you will be extremely weak and very exhausted. While having the flu it will be very hard to get up and do your regular routine.

Sneezing, Stuffy Nose, & Sore Throat

You will most likely have all of these symptoms when having a cold. While having the flu these symptoms are uncommon but you can have them, you will most likely have a sore throat if you do get any of them at all.

Coughing & Chest Discomfort

In either cases if you have a cough it will give you some chest discomfort. With a flu you will get a hacking cough, you may even bring up mucus. Since with the flu you have the hacking cough, you will have more mild to severe chest discomfort. While having a cold you will have a dry cough, which would cause discomfort but not as much as the flu.

The Onset

A cold you can feel gradually coming on stronger and stronger over a period of time, say a day. Let's say Monday your starting not to feel good, but it takes til Tuesday night to really feel bad and to definitely know your sick. With a flu it comes and kicks your butt within a few hours, so say your starting not to feel good Monday, by Monday night you will know you have something.

Prevention

Now in either cases you want to make sure you have good hygiene, such as washing your hands throughout the day, wipe down surfaces in your house with disinfectant, stay home 24 hours after your fever is gone, and to get your flu shot. No the flu shot does not give you the flu, trust me I thought this to for the longest time until I talked to my doctor. It may be a coincidence that someone got sick around the same time but the shot did not give them the flu. From experience, I got the flu about 2 months after I got the shot. It was not as bad as it could have been. From the year before when I got the flu without having a shot that year, I almost had to go to the hospital. This past year I did get the flu shot but it was ten times better than it was the year before.

What To Do When You Have A Cold Or Flu?

• Get rest, sleep, rest, sleep

• Drink plenty of fluids, water or juices

• Use tissues, the softer the better

• Try to stay away from other people if you can, you don't want to spread it

• Wash those hands, and sheets when your better

• Cough drops, if you have a cough

• Chicken noodle soup~ homemade is the best

• Take medication, nothing will get rid of the cold or flu any faster but you can take NyQuil to help you sleep or DayQuil to help numb down some pain, or the medication tat woeks for you.

Call A Doctor ASAP If These Things Happen

• A continuous fever of 102 or over for a prolonged period of time while taking medication

• If symptoms last more than 7-10 days and aren't getting better.

• Trouble breathing or unable to drink fluids/keep them down

• Constant vomiting

• Confusion or disoriented