Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below 
Island Son
New member
Q. Is there a way to differentiate flu symptoms from those of a common cold?
A. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are several differences in flu and cold symptoms.
Here are some examples from the CDC:
Fever: Rare in adults and older children infected by a common cold, but can be as high as 102 degrees in cold-infected infants and small children. With the flu, fevers are normally 102 degrees but can go up to 104 degrees; a flu fever usually lasts three to four days.
Headache: These are rare for cold sufferers, but the flu can bring on sudden and severe headaches.
Muscle aches: These are mild for those with a common cold; for flu sufferers they are frequent and often severe.
Tiredness and weakness: Again, these are mild for those with a cold, while flu sufferers experience extreme fatigue that can last two or more weeks.
Extreme exhaustion: This symptom is not felt by cold sufferers, but a person infected by influenza can experience sudden and extreme exhaustion.
Runny nose, sneezing and sore throat: These are frequent common cold symptoms that are only sometimes associated with the flu.
Cough: A common cold usually brings on a mild hacking cough; a flu cough is frequent and can become severe.
The CDC says that another big difference is that the common cold isn't life-threatening but the flu kills. Both are highly contagious and a bad common cold can resemble the flu. But if you think you might have influenza, the best advice is to see a doctor immediately.
A. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are several differences in flu and cold symptoms.
Here are some examples from the CDC:
Fever: Rare in adults and older children infected by a common cold, but can be as high as 102 degrees in cold-infected infants and small children. With the flu, fevers are normally 102 degrees but can go up to 104 degrees; a flu fever usually lasts three to four days.
Headache: These are rare for cold sufferers, but the flu can bring on sudden and severe headaches.
Muscle aches: These are mild for those with a common cold; for flu sufferers they are frequent and often severe.
Tiredness and weakness: Again, these are mild for those with a cold, while flu sufferers experience extreme fatigue that can last two or more weeks.
Extreme exhaustion: This symptom is not felt by cold sufferers, but a person infected by influenza can experience sudden and extreme exhaustion.
Runny nose, sneezing and sore throat: These are frequent common cold symptoms that are only sometimes associated with the flu.
Cough: A common cold usually brings on a mild hacking cough; a flu cough is frequent and can become severe.
The CDC says that another big difference is that the common cold isn't life-threatening but the flu kills. Both are highly contagious and a bad common cold can resemble the flu. But if you think you might have influenza, the best advice is to see a doctor immediately.
