Cold VS Flu

I can't believe it's almost flu season already!  We still aren't finished with COVID so we thought it would be a good reminder to get your flu shots!! In this episode we discuss the differences between the Flu and the common cold.  The symptoms seem similar when it comes to the common cold and the flu. But there are subtle differences between the two. The experts share how flu differs from a cold. (And they all stress that flu can be prevented by getting the flu vaccine.)

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1.While people with colds might feel hot, a fever of 102 degrees or higher often signals that a person has the flu.

2. Even though a cold makes people feel miserable, they normally improve without a doctor’s help. “Colds are usually self-healing,”

​3. When people develop a cold, it normally starts slowly with mild sniffling, sore throat or congestion for a few days. Then it worsens. With flu, it occurs suddenly. People often feel great and then abruptly feel sick.  “Flu comes on very quickly,” 

​4. “Influenza tends to be associated with more coughing, more myalgia (body aches), the fatigue, more headache. (With) the common cold, you would have more people complaining of nasal congestion, runny nose, sinus congestion. Less likely to have fever. Less likely to have body aches,” 

​5. For the most part, a cold will last about three to five days, then people start feeling better. But anything lasting five or more days could be the flu.

“The influenza lasts a little longer than the common cold,”