2007-01-13 04:51:56 · 13 answers · asked by oumzin75 1 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Infectious Diseases
Influenza (flu) is an illness caused by a virus that comes on suddenly, and causes symptoms such as fever, body aches, headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, a dry cough, and a sore or dry throat. The flu is not the same as the common cold; flu symptoms are usually more severe, and you will often miss more work or school than you would with a cold.
The symptoms of influenza (flu) appear suddenly and often include:
* Fever of 100 °F(37.8 °C) to 104 °F(40 °C), which can reach 106 °F(41 °C) when symptoms first develop. Fever is usually continuous, but it may come and go. Fever may be lower in older adults than in children and younger adults.
* Shaking chills.
* Body aches and muscle pain (often severe), commonly in the back, arms, or legs.
* Headache.
* Pain when you move your eyes.
* Fatigue, a general feeling of sickness (malaise), and loss of appetite.
* A dry cough, runny nose, and a dry or sore throat. You may not notice these during the first few days of the illness when other symptoms are more severe. As your fever goes away, these symptoms may become more evident.
When fever is high, other symptoms usually are more severe.
Other conditions have symptoms similar to the flu, such as the common cold, bacterial infections, and infectious mononucleosis.
2007-01-13 05:01:47 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
People seem to regularly mistake the two, when there's actually a big difference between them!
A cold is merely a symptom of a the flu. It's when there's the following: sneezing, sniffling, runny nose, nasal congestion; scratchy, sore, or phlegmy throat; coughing; headache; and tiredness. So, it only has an effect on your throat and your nose (also, your respiratory system).
A flu, however, is short for "influenza". It gives you: fever, nausea, vomiting, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, and weakness and fatigue.
It has an effect on your whole body, and it's much worse than a simple cold.
With a cold, you can leave the house, just take a box of tissues and you're good! But, with the flu, you're just bound to stay in bed all day, staring at the ceiling, and moaning in pain.
2007-01-13 13:03:29 · answer #2 · answered by Muse 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Both are viral infections. Generally, a cold starts with a sore throat with no respiratory blockage. Later symptoms are a result of the body's defense mechanisms -- sneezes, runny nose, and coughs.
The common cold is caused by a different type of virus to flu and usually does not result in a significantly higher body temperature -- a high fever is a very reliable indicator of the flu.
2007-01-13 16:26:01 · answer #3 · answered by goulash 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A bad cold you can still function to a certain extent, the flu - you cant move - even if you saw £1000 in your garden, you would not be able to get up and get it. People have bad colds and think its flu. You only get real flu a couple of times in your life.
2007-01-13 12:57:25 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They're actually totally different illnesses, though we tend to describe a bad cold as flu.
If you had the flu, you'd know about it with a vengeance
2007-01-13 13:01:01 · answer #5 · answered by champer 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can go to the store to get a Sprite when you have a cold. With the flu, someone has to go for you because you cannot get out of bed.
2007-01-13 13:47:37 · answer #6 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well.i went to the doctors a few months ago because i had flu.i had been in bed all week with the symptons of flu but when i seen doctor she said that i just had colded which i couldnt understand as i was ill she also said that i had pulled my side of coughing but didnt give me antibiotics.2 days later i ended up in hospital with a really bad chest infection.so basically you will now yourself if it is a flu or just cold x
2007-01-13 15:30:06 · answer #7 · answered by bigbaps 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
With a cold you cough, sneeze and are bunged up but can still function. Flu knocks you off your feet and are bedridden - sometimes you ache but have no cold symptoms and can take 10 days to pass xxx
2007-01-13 12:56:39 · answer #8 · answered by starlet108 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The £50 note test always works for me...If you are in bed feeling as if you have the flu,imagine that there is a £50 pound note on your bedroom floor.If you could get up to get it,then you have a common cold,if you could not get up to get it ,then you have flu.
2007-01-13 15:45:13 · answer #9 · answered by ? 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
well a cold is a little cough and bunged up nose
but a flu is vomiting allll over the place and a horrible cough and you can bearly breathe
2007-01-13 15:42:41 · answer #10 · answered by Ruby_boo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋