Whats the difference between the flu and a cold?
Many people call all winter illnesses “the flu” (influenza). However, there are differences between a cold and the flu. The common cold is caused by over 200 types of viruses, specifically rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. Starting two to three days after an infection with nose congestion, swelling in the sinuses, sneezing, sore throat, cough, headache and mild fever, colds usually creep up on you. These symptoms can last a couple of days to more than two weeks (most people recover in one week). The average adult gets two to four colds a year. The flu is caused by influenza A and B viruses. The symptoms usually start suddenly with a headache, dry cough, fever/chills, muscle aches and a “knocked off your feet” feeling. The fever goes away after two to three days and then a sore throat and nasal congestion can start. The tired and weak feelings can last from days to weeks. How are colds and flus spread? Colds and flus are viral infections, spread from one person to another by a kiss, a han
The flu is a virus and you experience fever (feeling hot and cold and shaking), you have aches and pains in your joints, you tend to have a sore throat, cough (usually chesty), and a headache. A cold usually consists of a runny nose, headache, cough, and sometimes other symptoms but not usually fever. It’s not bacterial so it won’t respond to antibiotics…unfortunately. There’s not much you can do for a cold. For the flu, you can take a drug Tamiflu if you start the course within 48 hours of the symptoms. You need to go to a doctor for the script. You can’t take antibiotics for the flu as it is viral: not bacterial. Edit: check out the answers to the following question for some more information on the flu in particular: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;…
