Is It the flu, a cold or COVID-19? How to tell your symptoms apart, according to doctors
When you바카라 게임 웹사이트re sick, all you care about is feeling less miserable바카라 게임 웹사이트but once the temps drop during fall and winter, it can be tricky to figure out if you바카라 게임 웹사이트re dealing with the flu, COVID-19, or a common cold.
So many of the symptoms overlap, but there are a few key differences to keep in mind. (More on that later.) Of course, in order to stop your sniffles, you need to know what바카라 게임 웹사이트s causing them in the first place. Here, doctors explain how to figure out the answer to your pressing cold vs. flu vs. COVID-19 questions so you can seek the treatment that will actually make you feel better.
Cold vs. flu vs. COVID-19 symptoms
Part of the reason it can be tricky to know whether you have the flu or a cold or even COVID-19 is simply that there are only a few minor differences between their symptoms.
Cold symptoms
In general, cold symptoms show up primarily above your neck:
- Runny nose
- Coughing and sneezing
- Sore throat
- Slightly swollen glands
- Minor aches and pains
Flu symptoms
This includes symptoms above and below your neck. You have all the signs of a cold, plus the following:
- Fever over 100°F
- Chest coughs
- Weakness and fatigue
- Headaches
- Chills
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Full-body aches
And, again, because COVID-19 should be considered, too, here are the biggest signs of that illness, per the (CDC).
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
How do I know if I have the flu or a cold?
The biggest differences between the symptoms of influenza and a cold are their severity and how quickly they develop. With the flu, 바카라 게임 웹사이트one day you are feeling OK, and the next, all your symptoms arise,바카라 게임 웹사이트 says , professor of infectious diseases at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Compared to the flu, a cold is milder and symptoms gradually set in.
바카라 게임 웹사이트The flu is like a cold on steroids,바카라 게임 웹사이트 says , professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. 바카라 게임 웹사이트I바카라 게임 웹사이트ve heard patients say, 바카라 게임 웹사이트This is worst I바카라 게임 웹사이트ve ever felt in my life.바카라 게임 웹사이트바카라 게임 웹사이트
He also adds this: 바카라 게임 웹사이트If you don바카라 게임 웹사이트t feel horrible, you probably don바카라 게임 웹사이트t have flu.바카라 게임 웹사이트
But, like many illnesses, it바카라 게임 웹사이트s tricky to say that this will happen in every situation. 바카라 게임 웹사이트You can be walking around with the flu바카라 게임 웹사이트there are all different levels of severity,바카라 게임 웹사이트 says Timothy Murphy, M.D., senior associate dean for clinical and translational research at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine.
Infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, agrees. 바카라 게임 웹사이트It바카라 게임 웹사이트s impossible to really differentiate a cold from influenza because the symptoms overlap,바카라 게임 웹사이트 he says. 바카라 게임 웹사이트Influenza tends to be more severe and associated with fever and muscle aches, but it could be mild enough to be confused with the common cold.바카라 게임 웹사이트
It also matters if you바카라 게임 웹사이트ve been vaccinated against the flu. While the flu vaccine won바카라 게임 웹사이트t necessarily keep you from getting sick바카라 게임 웹사이트vaccine effectiveness has ranged from 19% to 60% over the past decade, per 바카라 게임 웹사이트it 바카라 게임 웹사이트can give partial protection and can turn what would have been a more severe illness into a minor illness,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Dr. Murphy said.
David Cennimo, M.D., assistant professor of medicine-pediatrics infectious disease at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, agrees. 바카라 게임 웹사이트People who get vaccinated against influenza and have a 바카라 게임 웹사이트breakthrough바카라 게임 웹사이트 infection tend to be much less sick with more mid symptoms that can be confused with a cold,바카라 게임 웹사이트 he says. 바카라 게임 웹사이트This confusion means that we really do need testing to be sure.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Basically, it can be confusing, even when you know all the classic signs of each illness. Still not sure what바카라 게임 웹사이트s happening with your health? Asking yourself these questions can help:
How severe does this feel?
Cold: You feel mildly icky, and things get worse slowly. The first signs might include slight aches, a scratchy throat, a headache, and/or a low-grade fever.
Flu: The flu usually hits you like a speeding train. You may first feel feverish at work, and by the time you get home you can barely muster enough energy to climb your porch steps. Every inch of you aches.
Can I get out of bed?
Cold: Yes, you can walk around. Though you might not want to commute to work or schlep the kids around, you can manage.
Flu: In many cases, you바카라 게임 웹사이트re flat on your back. Extreme fatigue may incapacitate you for at least a few days.
What to do if you develop symptoms
In the past, doctors would usually recommend that you see your doctor if you have cold- or flu-like symptoms that make you feel lousy. But with COVID-19 now in the mix, that advice has changed a little. 바카라 게임 웹사이트Do not to go right to your healthcare provider,바카라 게임 웹사이트 says William Schaffner, M.D., an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Any respiratory symptoms바카라 게임 웹사이트should prompt COVID testing,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Dr. Adalja says. If that바카라 게임 웹사이트s negative and you think there바카라 게임 웹사이트s even a chance you could have the flu, Dr. Adalja recommends calling your doctor about getting tested for the flu. 바카라 게임 웹사이트There should be a low threshold for influenza testing because there are influenza antivirals that people can benefit from바카라 게임 웹사이트if given early enough바카라 게임 웹사이트especially the high risk,바카라 게임 웹사이트 he says.
