Is it a Cold or Flu? Relief and Symptoms For Each

Stuffy nose, sore throat, body aches. When symptoms arise, it's sometimes hard to decipher the difference of whether you're coming down with a cold or flu.

The common cold is milder than seasonal flu and lasts for about a week at the most, whereas the flu and its aftermath can take hold much longer. The flu can also result in serious health problems such as pneumonia and severe respiratory distress syndrome. Both complications can send the person to the hospital, and in some severe cases of the swine flu, possible death.

The common thread of cold and flu is that the preventative measures one takes to improve respiratory health are the same. And with both illnesses, the symptoms can be minimized and duration shortened with several flu remedies.

How To Know If It's A Cold

The common cold usually begins with a scratchy feeling in the back of the throat, or a sore throat. Symptoms that follow within the next two to five days include a runny nose, chest congestion and a cough. Fever is present often in children, and less likely in adults.

The most miserable part of a cold is usually nasal discharge, starting with watery secretions and sneezing, and becoming darker and thicker as the illness progresses. This is a natural occurrence and does not mean a bacterial infection exists.

For the first three days of a cold, the infected person is contagious. It's wise to stay home during this period and get plenty of rest. If symptoms do not subside within a week, a bacterial infection may have taken hold that requires antibiotics to clear it from the body.

And It's The Flu If...

The symptoms from seasonal flu and H1N1 (swine) flu are very similar. They are usually more severe than cold symptoms and manifest themselves more rapidly. Symptoms include a sore throat, fever, headache, muscle aches and pains, congestion and coughing. If the illness is the swine flu, symptoms may include diarrhea and vomiting. As is the case with contracting a cold, the influenza virus enters the body through the mucous membranes of the nose, eyes and mouth.

Flu symptoms typically subside within two to five days, but depending on the person's immune response, it can take hold longer, making the person to feel run down for several weeks. Pneumonia is one common complication of influenza, most notably in young children, the elderly and individuals who have lung and heart problems. If one experiences shortness of breath, a health care profession should be contacted immediately.

Cold And Flu Remedies That Work

Prevention is the best way to avoid catching a virus. Healthy life habits, flu vaccinations and immune boosting supplements are the best ways to maintain respiratory health. At-risk groups including the elderly and young children under age five are advised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to get vaccinations against seasonal and H1N1 strains of the flu. Healthy life habits include getting plenty of sleep, staying well hydrated, maintaining a regular exercise schedule and frequent washing of the hands with soap and warm water while in public places are the easiest ways to avoid getting sick and maintain good respiratory health. Adding supplements such as vitamin C, zinc and elderberry extract, in the form of elderberry lozenges, to one's daily routine is also considered to be one of the most highly effective flu remedies.

Vitamin C and zinc are effective antioxidants that can boost immunity. Elderberry extract has also been demonstrated in laboratory tests to be effective in fighting influenza A and B. In a randomized double-blind placebo controlled study, elderberry extract was shown to significantly reduce the duration of the flu by about four days. Elderberry lozenges are an easy way to get the immune boosting benefits of elderberry extract and have been found to be effective in reducing symptoms of the flu.

The 411 On Cold and Flu

Regardless of which virus you catch, neither is a picnic. Scientifically speaking they aren't as similar as they feel, but their commonalities are that they both have a negative impact on respiratory health, have similar methods of contraction and require the same remedies to shorten the duration. By practicing good life habits, being vaccinated if you are a member of a high-risk group and supplementing your diet with respiratory health boosters that include vitamin C, zinc and elderberry lozenges, you are taking a giant step in fighting both the common cold and the flu virus.

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