Is It a Cold or the Flu?

Quick Digest:

• If you become sick, it is important to determine the cause of your illness so that you can get proper treatment. There are some medications, such as Tamiflu that can shorten the duration of the flu.
• Distinguishing between a cold and the flu can be difficult. 
• To figure out if you have a cold or the flu, just ask yourself the 5 following questions:
   

1. What are your symptoms? 

Flu symptoms may have a sudden onset, whereas the common cold may feel more gradual, beginning with a sore throat, followed by congestion and perhaps a cough. You can refer to the chart below to track the symptoms you‚re feeling.

When you have the flu, you may have an intense headache, severe aches, intense fatigue, and sneezing and chills. With a cold, however, it's rare that you'd have a fever and aches, but you could develop slight body aches, fatigue, and sneezing.

Both the flu and cold may result in a stuffy nose or sore throat.