Cold and influenza
Posted by Wen Dan Jiang on
Cold and influenza
Occasionally, we are all getting a cold. There are more than 200 different forms of viruses that can cause cold but the most common cause is the nasal virus. His common symptoms include sneezing and runny nose. It's worth noting that cold isn't exactly the same as flu. Symptoms of flu are more severe and may include fever, trembling, pain and anxiety, lethargy, and headache.
Do you know that there is a difference between colds and flu? Learn about the differences with us in this article.
What is the common cold?
The concept of colds is an infectious viral infection that affects the upper respiratory tract. Colds are more common in winter months, as the majority of cold-causing viruses grow at low humidity. When someone sneezes or coughs, the colds spread, sending contagious drops through the air.
What are the symptoms of the common cold?
Rarely, symptoms of fever higher than 101 degrees appear when you have a common cold, and generally do not result in serious health problems. If you have a cold, the following symptoms will appear:
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Sore throat
- Minor body pain
- Light strain
How to prevent colds
There are no drugs to fundamentally treat the common cold, but good personal hygiene methods can always be used to prevent it. Prevention is better than cure, given the easiness of spreading the common cold. Try to stay away from anyone who is ill and if you have a common cold, stay away from others to avoid infection and keep your hands away from your nose, eyes, and mouth, and cover them when coughing or sneezing.
What is influenza?
Influenza is an illness that infects the respiratory system via the influenza virus, and unlike colds that can impact a person year-round at any time, the flu is usually seasonal.
Symptoms of an influenza
In its onset, influenza manifests as colds and stuffy nose, sneezing, and sore throat. But common cold usually develops slowly whilst influenza suddenly appears and develops. While the common cold can be a mere annoyance, the flu creates a very poor general sense. Common influenza symptoms include:
High body temperature above 38 degrees in adults and between 39.5 and 40 degrees in children and boys
- Chills and sweats
- Headache
- Dry cough
- Muscle pain
- The feeling of general weakness and fatigue
- Stuffy nose
- Anorexia
- Diarrhea and vomiting in children
How to prevent influenza?
This virus is very infectious and is transmitted through the air, which means it spreads through coughing or sneezing. The best way to prevent influenza is to take the widely available flu vaccine during these times of the year, and most doctors recommend taking the flu vaccine in October or at the early start of the flu season, yet you can still take the vaccine in late fall or winter.
The flu vaccine can help you avoid getting the flu, and it can reduce the severity of the disease if you catch it. And keep in mind that it takes two weeks for the vaccine to take effect.
References
Cfsph.iastate.edu. 2020. [online] Available at: <http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/influenza.pdf> [Accessed 23 June 2020].
Who.int. 2020. [online] Available at: <https://www.who.int/influenza/vaccines/2007northreport.pdf> [Accessed 23 June 2020].
Doi.org. 2020. Redirecting. [online] Available at: <https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(05)70270-X> [Accessed 23 June 2020].