Those Nasty Bugs
Is it a cold or is it the flu? SYMPTOM: Fever
COLD: None or low-grade (below 100 F)
FLU: Always lasts 3-4 days
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SYMPTOM: Chills
COLD: Rare
FLU: Common
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SYMPTOM: Headache
COLD: Absent or mild
FLU: Common
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SYMPTOM: Body aches
COLD: Common
FLU: Common, often severe
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SYMPTOM: Fatigue / weakness
COLD: Mild
FLU: Often extreme, may last 2-3 weeks
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SYMPTOM: Cough
COLD: Common, dry / hacking
FLU: Common, mucus-producing, may become severe
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SYMPTOM: Runny, stuffy nose
COLD: Common
FLU: Sometimes
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SYMPTOM: Sore throat
COLD: Common
FLU: Sometimes
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SYMPTOM: Sneezing
COLD: Common
FLU: Rare
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SYMPTOM: PREVENTION
COLD: None
FLU: Annual vaccination for influenza types A and B. Prescription antiviral medication, rimantadine or amantadine, for influenza type A only in adults and children.
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SYMPTOM: TREATMENT
COLD: Only temporary, symptomatic
FLU: Prescription antivial relief from cough / cold medicine medication, rimantadine or amantadine, for influenza type A only in adults.
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SYMPTOM: COMPLICATIONS
COLD: Sinus congestion, earache
FLU: Bronchitis, pneumonia, meningitis. Possibly life-threatening for high-risk individuals such as the elderly.
Source: Forest Laboratories Inc.