Is it a cold or the flu?

It’s that time of year when it seems like every­one has the snif­fles and sneezes, but how do you know if it’s just a cold or if it’s the flu?

A Cold

It is called the com­mon cold for good rea­son. There are over one bil­lion colds in the Unit­ed States each year. You and your chil­dren will prob­a­bly have more colds than any oth­er type of illness.

Colds can occur at any time of the year, but they are most com­mon in the win­ter or rainy sea­sons. A cold virus spreads through tiny, air droplets that are released when the sick per­son sneezes, coughs or blows their nose.

You can catch a cold if:

• A per­son with a cold sneezes, coughs or blows their nose near you.
• You touch your nose, eyes, or mouth after you have touched some­thing con­t­a­m­i­nat­ed by the virus, such as a toy or doorknob.

Peo­ple are most con­ta­gious for the first 2 to 3 days of a cold. A cold is most often not con­ta­gious after the first week.

The Flu

The flu is caused by an influen­za virus.

Peo­ple often con­fuse colds and flu. They are dif­fer­ent, but you might have some of the same symp­toms. Most peo­ple get a cold sev­er­al times a year. On the con­trary, peo­ple get the flu only once every few years.

You can catch the flu if:

• A per­son with the flu coughs or sneezes near you.
• If you touch some­thing with the virus on it, and then touch your mouth, nose, or eyes.

Flu symp­toms will often start quick­ly. You can start to feel sick about 1 to 7 days after you come in con­tact with the virus. Most of the time symp­toms appear with­in 2 – 3 days. To pre­vent the spread of the flu, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever has gone.

If you think you may have a cold or the flu, con­tact your pri­ma­ry care provider to learn about ways to alle­vi­ate your symp­toms. If you need a pri­ma­ry care provider, call our Pri­ma­ry Care Access Line at (217) 222‑6550, ext. 3325.

*Infor­ma­tion in this arti­cle obtained from A.D.A.M Health Infor­ma­tion Library.