How can you distinguish between the flu and the common cold?
The incidence of influenza and colds increases in winter. When we feel an itchy throat, runny nose, headache, fever and joint pain, our immune system is at its prime.
But how do we distinguish between a common cold and the real flu? It is simple, by knowing their symptoms we can distinguish between them.
Symptoms of the flu
Influenza is a contagious viral disease, usually occurring during the winter season between November and February. While the cold begins surreptitiously and gradually, the symptoms of the flu appear by surprise, as the patient is unwell, but in the next moment he suffers from headaches, joint pain, severe shivering, and fatigue.
Other symptoms include fever and bouts of severe sweating, as the temperature usually exceeds 38 degrees and can reach 41 degrees. Best dermatologist in islamabad say to the German “Telecom” website that it is possible that a person suffering from influenza will not develop a fever in some cases, but this does not change the way it is treated.
The person with influenza is unable to manage the requirements of his daily life as usual, so he must stay in bed, as the infection causes fatigue and severe fatigue. It is also accompanied in many cases later by a dry cough and a cold.
Influenza treatment
Special medicines called “neuraminidase inhibitors” help prevent the reproduction of viruses, which reduces the symptoms of influenza and reduces the period of infection with it to at least one day.
But these drugs are effective only in the first two days of the start of the flu, and if the patient takes them in an advanced stage of the disease, they do not work. The most important advice here is to stay in bed to rest and drink fluids. There are many recipes, such as linden flower tea, elderberry tea, and chamomile tea.
As for severe influenza cases, additional symptoms may appear due to bacteria, which can only be treated with antibiotics, but the latter have no effectiveness against influenza viruses.
The main symptom of the common cold
In contrast to influenza, the symptoms of a cold start slowly and gradually. The first symptom is inflammation of the upper part of the airways, and it is often caused by cold viruses. Usually, the patient first feels an annoying itch in the throat, which may later turn into pain as well. After that, the mucous membranes become swollen, and then a runny nose begins.
The patient also feels headache, stuffy nose, painful cough, and decreased hearing due to a feeling of pressure on the ears. These symptoms usually last for a week. It is important to go to complete rest and for the victim to get enough sleep, and to avoid physical exertion, so that the injury period is not prolonged.
