| | ’Tis the season for colds and flu
| Is it a cold or the flu?
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| Cold Symptoms |
Flu Symptoms |
Low or no fever
Sometimes a headache
Stuffy, runny nose
Sneezing
Mild, hacking cough
Slight aches and pains
Mild fatigue
Sore throat
Normal energy level |
High fever
Always a headache
Clear nose
Sometimes sneezing
Cough, often becoming severe
Often severe aches and pains
Several weeks of fatigue
Sometimes a sore throat
Extreme exhaustion |
It's the time of year when it seems hard to find someone who isn't coughing, sneezing or feeling under the weather. Chances are you know someone or, unfortunately, are someone who has a cold or the flu (influenza). In this season of sickness, be sure to take some precautions to try to keep from catching or spreading these contagious illnesses.
“The common cold and the flu are generally passed from person to person through the air after someone coughs or sneezes,” explains Kim Lansing, MD, Family Medicine. “They can also be spread when a person touches something that has been handled by an infected person, and then touches their own mouth, nose or eyes.”
To avoid catching or spreading a cold or the flu:
- Wash your hands frequently, which may reduce, but not eliminate, your risk of infection
- Avoid or limit contact with people who are infected
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, dispose of the tissue promptly and wash your hands immediately
Even if you take precautions, you may still catch a cold or the flu. There are no medications available that have been proven to cure or shorten the duration of the common cold. People have commonly used zinc and echinacea to treat or prevent colds, but studies on the effectiveness of these treatments on the length and severity of colds have been conflicting. However, you may be able to relieve some symptoms of your cold with over-the-counter cold medications and decongestants, rest, increased fluid intake, pain relievers, warm salt water gargling for a sore throat, petroleum jelly for raw, chapped skin around the nose and lips, and warm steam for congestion.
If you think you may have the flu, talk to your primary healthcare provider. “Antiviral medications are available if the flu is diagnosed early,” Dr. Lansing says. “It is extremely important for patients to get the proper diagnosis as early as possible because the medications must be taken within the first 48 hours of when symptoms begin in order to help.”
Other treatments that may help decrease the severity of flu symptoms include over-the-counter medications for muscle aches, fever and congestion, rest and increasing your intake of fluids.
For more information, call our free Nurse Advisors at (608) 775-4454 or (800) 858-1050.
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