Fever | Fever is rare with a cold. | Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the flu. |
Coughing | A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold. | A nonproductive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough). |
Aches | Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold. | Severe aches and pains are common with the flu. |
Stuffy Nose | Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week. | Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the flu. |
Chills | Chills are uncommon with a cold. | 60% of people who have the flu experience chills. |
Tiredness | Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold. | Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu. |
Sneezing | Sneezing is commonly present with a cold. | Sneezing is not common with the flu. |
Sudden Symptoms | Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days. | The flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains. |
Headache | A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold. | A headache is very common with the flu, present in 80% of flu cases. |
Sore Throat | Sore throat is commonly present with a cold. | Sore throat is not commonly present with the flu. |
ChestDiscomfort | Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold. | Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu. |
14 comments:
That is the most useful thing of all the stuff that's come out of the swine flue epidemic. I will copy it for future reference!
Thanks for popping to my blog - I was cute when small, but alost all cuteness when I grew big and gawky!!
Me too making a copy. That makes it so clear and simple.
Good to know if I am not sick 6 hours after shopping, I probably dodged the bullet. Thanks so much.
Helpful information. Thank you:)
Excellent. Concise and informative.
Good stuff to know about the difference in the symptoms.
Excellent guide!
Thanks for posting a helpful chart. Most of us couldn't tell the difference between a bad cold and a light case of flu.
On the other hand, if the flu is severe (and it usually is) there is no doubt that it's not a cold.
One missing symptom on the chart is nausea. I always barf if I have the flu.
Now my body aches, I have a cough, I'm sneezing and have a high temperature.
Whatever it is I have, can I stay in bed for the day and be pampered? ;)
This is by far the best explanation of the difference between flu and cold that I have ever seen.
Thank you for posting it. Vaccines are not yet available here, but I will get mine when they are. Bob and I got the regular flu shot a few weeks ago.
This is Very Very helpful, Judy..! Tanks so much for this...Though with my on-going symptoms it is sometimes hard to decipher what is coming in from the outside....But, I am going to be EXTRA Careful now!
I printed it out....thank you Judy.
Thank you for the info. I'm pretty sure that my son and I just have some sort of stomach bug - no fevers here, but I'm keeping him home tomorrow regardless.
Great and useful post Kenju thanks
Thank you so much for this information. It will be well used.
Post a Comment