Mac users: please note that our site is optimized for the Safari browser.
Colds, aches, pains, and other ailments
Do I have a cold or the flu?
Originally Published: March 04, 2005
 
Hi Alice,

I've been wicked sick all week with a really bad runny nose, face pain, cough and now my right ear is hurting. I can't think!! And I am trying to study for exams!!!

My mom told me I have the flu and should go to a doctor to get medicine to treat it. But I think it's just a wicked bad cold. Can you tell me the difference?

Thanks,
Faucet Nose

 

Dear Faucet Nose,

Sorry you are feeling so awful.

People often wonder if they've got the "common cold" or something more serious like influenza ("the flu") or even pneumonia.

Some important clues to help you tell the difference between a bad cold and the flu

  Cold Flu
Onset Usually comes on kind of gradually, over days or even a week Hits you like a Mack truck; you wake up one morning and you feel awful while yesterday, you were fine
Fever? In adolescents and adults, a cold usually doesn't cause any fever or, if it does, it's low-grade (100 - 101°F). The flu almost always causes high fever (102 - 104°F) that lasts for 3 - 4 days.
Cough? Both a cold and the flu can cause a cough — it's usually pretty mild and not associated with difficulty breathing.
Other Symptoms A cold usually affects just the upper respiratory system: your nose, throat, sinuses, and ears. The flu gets your whole body involved: you feel really achy and weak, you're nauseated, and sometimes you vomit.

If you find you are having trouble breathing, or feel short of breath with normal activity, whether with a cold or the flu, it's time to promptly contact your health care provider.

The flu can be treated with antiviral medications; the cold can not. Antibiotics don't help with either. If your flu symptoms are less than 48 hours old, if you contact your health care provider, s/he may be able to perform a quick, easy test to diagnose the flu. If you have it, you possibly can get started on treatment.

Alice

Related Q&As

No taste when I have a cold
Recurring flu symptoms, or something else?
Common cold causes
Questions About Bronchitis
When are colds contagious?
Symptoms of pneumonia
Avian flu — what is it? Is there a vaccine?
Just under the weather, or mono?
Should I get a flu shot?
Can holding a sneeze cause damage?



Go Ask Alice! is not an emergency or instant response service. If you are in an urgent situation, please click here to view a list of 24 hour support services and hotlines.