There are two types of people in this world: those who go to work sick and those who whine and complain, on the couch, yet do nothing to feel better. Sometimes we need to get back to our daily life as fast as possible. We cannot be dealing with an illness for days on end. In order to get the right medical treatment, you first have to know what you have. Many people think that a cold and the flu are one in the same but there are many differences to the two illnesses. Before you head to your local urgent care, find out more about the symptoms of a cold and the flu.
Fever
You are most likely going to experience a headache and fever during both a cold and the flu; your body is fighting an infection after all. However, you will probably experience a fever of over 101 degrees if you have the flu. With the common cold, you will not experience such a severe headache.
Runny nose
A common symptom of a cold is a stuffy, yet runny, nose. But when you have the flu, your nose will be clear. If you have a stuffy and/or a runny nose, you can lessen the symptom with some Pseudoephedrine.
Coughing/sneezing
With a common cold, you will most likely be sneezing a ton but having the flu means that you will not be. However, you will have a more severe cough if you have the flu. You may have a slight cough with a cold but not nearly as bad as it would be with the flu.
Ache and pains
One of the symptoms that often confuses people is the severity of the aches and pains that come with a cold or the flu. People have different pain tolerances, but in general, the most severe aches and pains come from having the flu.
Fatigue
No one feels like themselves when they are sick. You are sore and tired and all you want to do is sleep. Having a cold will make you feel fatigue to the point that, if you allow yourself, you could sleep for days. With the flu, your body will be so fatigued that you will not have any energy to get up to get a glass of water, let alone go to work.
Sore Throat
For a lot of people having a sore throat is the first sign that they are getting sick. If you have a sore throat, you likely have a common cold. If you are not experiencing a sore throat then you could have the flu.
Energy
Similar to fatigue, having less energy than normal is to be expected if you are sick but if you are able to stand for long periods of time or do everyday tasks, you probably have a cold. If you have extreme exhaustion and cannot seem to get out of bed, you most likely have the flu.
If you have read through these symptoms and believe that you have a cold, it is probably not necessary to make a trip to urgent care. However, if you have the flu, we recommend that you find someone to drive you to Medics USA for emergency care so that we can get you up and running in no time.