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Are you able to find out a difference between cold and flu? Symptoms like chesty cough, sneezing, coughing, feverish feeling are seen in cold as well as flu. So how to differentiate whether it is a cold or flu symptom. Both cold and flu may seem similar at first, but it is necessary to know the difference between the two. Cold is milder than flu. A cold lasts for a few days, whereas the flu can make you feel sick from a few days to weeks. Flu may also lead to other complications like pneumonia.
Let us see the symptoms of the common cold
The common cold generally begins with a sore throat. Few symptoms that follow are:
- Running nose followed by congestion
- Cough
- Rarely slight fever
These symptoms generally last for a week. You can pass the cold virus to others during the first three days, so you need extra precautions during that period. Common cold symptoms generally subside within a week. If they do not improve even after a week, it is possible that you may have developed a bacterial infection, an allergy or a sinus problem.
Now let us see what are flu symptoms?
Flu symptoms are generally more severe than cold symptoms. Symptoms of flu are:
- Sore throat
- Fever
- Muscle pain
- Congestion
- Cough
Flu symptoms gradually subside over 2 to 5 days, but you may continue to feel unwell for more than a week. Flu can also lead to further complications. One of the most common complications of flu is pneumonia, especially in elderly and people with existing lung disease. Some of the important symptoms of pneumonia are shortness of breath and fever, which comes back after a day or two.
Just like cold viruses, flu viruses also enter your body through the nose, eyes or mouth. Whenever you touch your hand to one of these areas, you could be infecting yourself with a virus, and hence, it is very important to keep your hands germ-free by frequent washing. This will prevent both cold and flu symptoms. Here is the best cough medicine by charak.
So now that you are aware of cold and flu symptoms, do they seem quite similar to you? So the question remains the same.
How to know whether it is a cold or flu?
Symptoms such as nasal congestion, cough, aches are similar for cold and flu. One distinct feature or symptom, as believed by the experts is the body temperature. In common cold, there is rarely a symptom of fever with a temperature of more than 101degrees. In the flu, you will mostly have a fever initially, and you will feel sick. Also, body ache and muscle aches are more common in the flu.
How to prevent cold and flu?
- Hand washing is the utmost prevention against cold and flu. Frequent hand washing, with soap and warm water for a minimum of 20 seconds helps in eliminating the germs from the skin.
- Vaccination for flu
- Certain antiviral medicines also help prevent flu, if you have come in contact with someone with flu
- Herbal medicines to boost the immune system
To protect yourself from cold and flu, trust EXTRAMMUNE, the herbal immune booster tablets. EXTRAMMUNE reduces the severity of cold and flu and strengthens the immunity. It also helps to achieve faster recovery from various infections. Key ingredients of EXTRAMMUNE like Triphala Guggul, Guduchi, Haridra, etc boost the immune system and also act as a respiratory tonic. These immune booster tablets are your personal bodyguard against cold and flu.
