Flu Immune 500

Colds and the flu have similar symptoms because they are both caused by viruses that attack the respiratory tract. The main noticeable difference is that colds are usually much milder than the flu, but the flu virus can occasionally cause a mild illness that is just like a cold. Knowing what you’ve come down with can be confusing.

Both colds and the flu strike most often in the winter, even in areas where winters are mild. The flu almost always breaks out between November and March. If you do become ill during the fall or the spring, you probably have a cold. You may have a cold when only a few other people you know are sick. But the flu is so contagious, chances are you will be surrounded by other people who have it.

The two illnesses typically follow different courses. Your cold may start out with either a sore throat or an irritated nose, followed by sneezing. After a day or so you develop a runny nose and then congestion. The flu comes on abruptly-all of a sudden you have a fever, you ache all over, and you’re really tired. But you won’t sneeze, have a runny nose, or have a sore throat until a few days later.

With a cold you may have a fever, but in an adult it won’t go above 101°F. You may have a headache or muscle aches, but they won’t be very severe. The symptoms that will annoy you the most will always be centered around your nose, throat, and head.

With the flu, your fever will probably be over 101°. It may subside and then return when your nasal symptoms appear. You will get a runny nose and congestion, but you will be more aware of the fact that you ache, feel tired, and feel generally sick all over.

Colds usually do not upset your stomach. The flu can cause nausea and vomiting in children and occasionally in adults-although when adults have flulike symptoms along with nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, there is a good chance they may have something else, like bacterial food poisoning or rotovirus.

People with colds don’t feel quite up to par, but they feel that they can pursue most of their regular activities. People with the flu either are or wish they were in bed, especially during the first few days. A cold lasts a week or less, with maybe an extra week of coughing. The flu can take one or two weeks for the main illness, with several weeks more of coughing and fatigue.

Colds have few complications and are not serious. The flu, for a healthy person, is not much more serious than a cold. But the flu can lead to serious complications like pneumonia in susceptible people. That’s why older people, people who have HIV or immune suppression caused by medication, those with chronic conditions such as heart or lung disease or diabetes, and children under five should receive a flu shot in the fall.