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Aaachoo! Is it a cold or the flu?
Both are viral, upper respiratory tract infections
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| |
Cold |
Influenza
(flu) |
| Usual
symptoms |
- Runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion
- Sore throat (usually scratchy)
- Cough
- No fever or low fever
- Mild fatigue
|
- Runny nose and sneezing
- Sore throat and headache
- Cough
- Fever (usually more than 101 F) and chills
- Moderate to severe fatigue and weakness
- Achy muscles
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| Cause |
One
of more than 200 viruses typically causes 2 to 4 colds a year in
adults and 4 to 8 a year in kids. |
One
of a few viruses from the influenza A or influenza B family. On
average, adults have less than one infection a year. |
| Seriousness |
Usually
not serious except in people with lung disease or other serious
illness. |
Can
be serious. A special concern in the elderly and people with chronic
health conditions. |
| Can
I work? |
Often.
Use care to avoid spreading a cold to others. Wash hands frequently. |
No,
not until fever, fatigue and all but the mild symptoms have
resolved. |
| Preventable? |
Possibly,
through careful handwashing, not sharing food, towels or
handkerchiefs and getting good nutrition and enough rest. |
Usually,
through vaccination. You need to be immunized every fall. |
| Do
antibiotics help? |
No,
not unless you also have a bacterial infection. |
Sometimes.
Antiviral antibiotics are available, but work only if taken at the
onset of the illness. |
| Self-care |
- Drink plenty of warm liquids. Homemade chicken soup can help
clear mucus.
- Increase sleep and rest.
- Use cold remedies cautiously.
- Try zinc gluconate lozenges (13.3 mg, one every 2 hours while
awake). For adults use only during a cold. Don't use if you are
pregnant or immunocomprised (have cancer, AIDS or a chronic
disease).
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- Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.
- Increase sleep and rest.
- Use over-the-counter pain relievers cautiously, as needed.
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| Seek
medical help |
- If you have difficulty breathing, faintness, change in
alertness, severe sore throat, cough producing a lot of sputum
or mucus (especially if green or yellow), pain in the face or a
chronic health condition.
- If symptoms have not resolved in 10 days.
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