Is It a Cold or the Flu?

You lie there in bed with a fever, chills and a headache, and your body hurts all over. You wonder if you will ever feel good again.  That's how you felt yesterday and that's what you will probably feel like tomorrow.  You may well have the flu.

Or you may have a stuffy nose, sore throat and are sneezing to the point of exhaustion…and you may have used up two boxes of paper tissues since yesterday. It may be a cold.  How do you tell the difference?

Most people catch colds by inhaling the cold virus from someone who is ill or by having hand-to-hand contact with them. Contrary to popular belief, cold air won't make you more vulnerable to catching a cold, but dry air will. There are more than 200 known cold viruses, which is why it is so easy to catch a cold and why symptoms can vary so much. Like influenza viruses, cold viruses can be spread through the air. You also can catch a cold by rubbing your eyes or nose after coming in contact with someone who has a cold or by touching something that person has just held.

While most people consider influenza a seasonal annoyance, it is a viral disease which can develop into more serious illnesses, sometimes resulting in death. Like a cold, influenza is spread through close contact with someone who is infected.

There are ways to tell the difference, how to fight the one you have, and how to improve your chances of keeping both at bay.

Click here for more.

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