The very similar symptoms of the common cold and the flu might have you believing that they are the same, but they really aren’t.
Despite being two completely different viruses, the flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses with almost identical symptoms, which makes them hard to tell apart.
However, understanding the difference between them could be the key to a quick recovery.
The first thing you should know is that flu is the worse one between the two. The flue has more intense symptoms than the cold, and are more likely to lead to serious health complications, such as pneumonia, infections and even hospitalization.
Cold and flu symptoms.
Both illnesses can come with either or all of the following symptoms: fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle aches, headaches and tiredness. Colds however are much milder, and might cause nothing more than a runny or stuffy nose.
Whether you have the cold or the flu, you can easily get better with over-the-counter antiviral medicine.
As a precaution and preventive measure, the best way to dodge getting either of the seasonal illnesses is washing your hands. You touch many things throughout the day and you never know what kinds of bacteria and viruses you pick up.
Wash your hands by running antibacterial soap for at least 20 seconds and then rinse them off well with lukewarm water.
