Influenza or most commonly known as the “flu” is an infection that affects the nose, throat, and lungs. It is a seasonal kind of sickness that attacks during cold seasons. The disease is contracted through airborne, or physical contact means, by a person who has it. One prominent about flu is that it's often mistaken as a cold but there are some distinct things that you can see between them.
Difference Between Cold And Flu
It's important to know the difference between a cold and flu since there are different ways on how you should handle it, especially on what kind of treatment you should do for it.
Cold
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Cough (mild)
- Fatigue (sometimes)
- Sneezing
- Watery eyes
- Sore throat
- Headaches (rarely)
- Aches and pains
Flu
- Runny/Blocked Nose
- Sore Throat
- Coughs
- Unique to the Flu:
- Fevers/feeling feverish, getting the chills
- High Body Temperature
- Cold sweats and Shivers
- Headaches
- Aching Joints and Limbs
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
Flu is not a severe disease but it shouldn't be taken lightly as it can be dangerous if not treated right away. It usually takes a week for a person to get better from having a flu with symptoms that might cause you discomfort but no too much that you would need to be sent to the hospital, especially if you take a flu medicine. Despite this, there are cases that having flu can cause some other severe illnesses such as sinusitis, pneumonia, and meningitis.
Taking medicine can help relieve the symptoms and overall make you feel well at the same time. You can either take Analgesics. These medicines are primarily used to reduce fever and pain. Some analgesics include Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, and Naproxen. Medicine like Aspirin should be avoided because of the risk of developing Reye’s syndrome. Antihistamines. These medicines can help dry out your nose, however, they also tend to make you sleepy so avoid taking them when you plan on driving or doing some other complicated tasks. Antihistamines include diphenhydramine and loratadine. The latter is a non-drowsy alternative but is believed to be less effective than other antihistamines.
One thing that you should also take in mind is that prevention is better than cure. Taking vitamins eating healthy foods such as vegetables and fruits can help boost your immunity. Also having flu vaccines will help your body build up antibodies against the flu that will not only benefit you but also your family.
