Cold or Flu

Below are cold symptoms and flu symptoms. See the differences and similarities between a cold and the flu.

Symptoms	Cold	Flu
Fever	Rare	Characteristic, high (100-102°F); lasts three to four days
Headache	Rare	Prominent
General Aches, Pains	Slight	Usual; often severe
Fatigue, Weakness	Quite mild	Can last up to two to three weeks
Extreme Exhaustion	Never	Early and prominent
Stuffy Nose	Common	Sometimes
Sneezing	Usual	Sometimes
Sore Throat	Common	Sometimes
Chest Discomfort, Cough	Mild to moderate; hacking cough	Common; can become severe
Complications	Sinus congestion or earache	Bronchitis, pneumonia; can be life-threatening
Prevention	None	Annual vaccination; Symmetrel, Flumadine, or Tamiflu (antiviral drugs)
Treatment	Only temporary relief of symptoms	Symmetrel, Flumadine, Relenza, or Tamiflu within 24-48 hours after onset of symptoms