Is it a Cold Or the Flu?
It can be tough sometimes to really pin down what might be wrong when we start to feel yucky.
It doesn't matter that you take your vitamins every day, and you drink plenty of fluids, and you even do your best to stay away from anyone who looks or sounds sick; the cold or flu can find you.
So, you may find yourself wondering, "Is it a cold or the flu"? Now, I'm not trying to add more confusion into the equation, but you have to consider that it may be neither, it may be allergies.
D'oh! Ok, let's say that you don't just one symptom, but you have 3.
First, you have a headache; that could be any of the three.
Next, you have a sore throat; that rules out an allergy.
The final symptom is muscle aches.
With colds, muscle aches are rare, so I would have to say you have the flu.
Here is a list of the most common symptoms for each of the three choices: Flu: Fever, headache, sore throat, muscle aches, tired and feeling weak, dizziness, hoarse voice, dry cough, and runny nose.
Cold: Headache, runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, and fever.
Allergies: Headache, runny nose, dry cough, and sneezing.
Simply by looking over the lists of symptoms, you can see that there are symptoms that are common, but there are enough symptoms that are unique to each illness as to help pin down exactly what you have and what you don't have.
Although it is common for people to run to the doctor at the first sighs of feeling sick, remember this, both the flu and a cold are caused by viruses.
Viruses can't be helped by antibiotics.
So going to your doctor will only serve you if you need an authority figure to tell you exactly what Mom told you when you were growing up: get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, and if you have a fever and it is making you uncomfortable, take some aspirin or acetaminophen.
Try not to take an over-the-counter medicine for your runny nose with a cold; that is your body's way to flush out the virus.
Just make sure you have a box of tissues next to you and deal with it that way.
Sore throats can be eased by drinking warm liquids such as tea with honey or hot cocoa.
There are also a wide range of throat lozenges to ease the pain.
Some people even recommend chewing on cloves; 4 a day for adults, 3 a day for children.
Taking a hot shower or hot bath can help with aches and pains, but if you have a fever, you will emerge from the water chilled because of the difference in water and air temperatures.
It's up to you to decide if it's worth it! Deciding what exactly if making you sick can be tough, but if you go by the guidelines listed above you should have no trouble determining is it a cold or the flu.
It doesn't matter that you take your vitamins every day, and you drink plenty of fluids, and you even do your best to stay away from anyone who looks or sounds sick; the cold or flu can find you.
So, you may find yourself wondering, "Is it a cold or the flu"? Now, I'm not trying to add more confusion into the equation, but you have to consider that it may be neither, it may be allergies.
D'oh! Ok, let's say that you don't just one symptom, but you have 3.
First, you have a headache; that could be any of the three.
Next, you have a sore throat; that rules out an allergy.
The final symptom is muscle aches.
With colds, muscle aches are rare, so I would have to say you have the flu.
Here is a list of the most common symptoms for each of the three choices: Flu: Fever, headache, sore throat, muscle aches, tired and feeling weak, dizziness, hoarse voice, dry cough, and runny nose.
Cold: Headache, runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, and fever.
Allergies: Headache, runny nose, dry cough, and sneezing.
Simply by looking over the lists of symptoms, you can see that there are symptoms that are common, but there are enough symptoms that are unique to each illness as to help pin down exactly what you have and what you don't have.
Although it is common for people to run to the doctor at the first sighs of feeling sick, remember this, both the flu and a cold are caused by viruses.
Viruses can't be helped by antibiotics.
So going to your doctor will only serve you if you need an authority figure to tell you exactly what Mom told you when you were growing up: get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, and if you have a fever and it is making you uncomfortable, take some aspirin or acetaminophen.
Try not to take an over-the-counter medicine for your runny nose with a cold; that is your body's way to flush out the virus.
Just make sure you have a box of tissues next to you and deal with it that way.
Sore throats can be eased by drinking warm liquids such as tea with honey or hot cocoa.
There are also a wide range of throat lozenges to ease the pain.
Some people even recommend chewing on cloves; 4 a day for adults, 3 a day for children.
Taking a hot shower or hot bath can help with aches and pains, but if you have a fever, you will emerge from the water chilled because of the difference in water and air temperatures.
It's up to you to decide if it's worth it! Deciding what exactly if making you sick can be tough, but if you go by the guidelines listed above you should have no trouble determining is it a cold or the flu.
Source...