How do you know whether you or your child's symptoms are a simple cold or the flu?

COLD	FLU
No or minimal fever	Fever above 102
Cough, runny nose, sore throat	Mainly cough
Minimal aches	Severe body aches/head aches
Doctor can see runny nose, congested nose, red throat, etc.	Often the doctor finds very few signs of illness, other than a very sick appearing patient
Slow onset	Very fast onset

In both cases, children are probably the most significant source of passing infection to others, including giving it to adults within the family.

It is important to know the differences between the two because the best treatments are different, as are the risks, especially to the elderly and those with poor immune system function.

 

COLD	FLU
NO medication cures	Prescription medications can shorten the course of illness and prevent complications
Self-limiting (gets better on own)	Occasionally causes pneumonia, blood infections, on other problems to elderly and those with poor immune systems
Prevention is the best treatment	Getting a flu shot, early treatment with medication and prevention are the best treatment

Preventive measures for both include:

	Routine hand-washing
	Avoid sharing cups, forks and spoons and having close, intimate contact with those that have symptoms
	Keep yourself in good physical shape by exercising regularly, eating the right foods, and getting plenty of sleep

Traditional treatments that won't shorten the course of both the cold and flu, but may help alleviate some symptoms include:

	Decongestants to break down congestion and promote drainage
	Antihistamines to reduce sneezing, dry out mucus, and help you rest
	Cough suppressants to alleviate coughs and calm irritated throats
	Expectorants to loosen mucus allowing it to drain better from sinuses and the lungs.
	Analgesics to reduce pain and fever

	Zinc lozenges (don't swallow, but suckle on them)
	Echinacea (pills or teas)
	Goldenseal
	Vitamin C