How To Tell The Difference Between A Cold The Flu

But how do you know if what you’ve got is a cold or the flu? Both are respiratory illnesses and share many symptoms, making them very difficult to tell apart, but the flu can sometimes lead to more serious complications, like pneumonia or bacterial infections, which can be dangerous. Colds are usually milder than the flu. They come on slowly and may last less than a week — though a really bad cold might settle in for longer. Early symptoms generally include a scratchy, sore throat and then a drippy nose, maybe some sneezing, eventually leading to a mild cough. Adults with colds usually don’t run a fever, though young kids sometimes do.
The flu, on the other hand, often announces itself with a miserable headache and a dry cough. (A drippy nose and sore throat do sometimes occur with the flu, but less frequently than they do with a cold.) You’ll feel achey and exhausted and may see the mercury rise as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit on your thermometer. You may feel better in a couple of days, or you may drag around feeling wiped out for weeks. On the bright side, while most people get a few colds a year, it’s unusual to get the flu more than once annually.
A quick rundown of symptoms:
FeverColds: Rare in adultsFlu: May range between 100 degrees and 104 degrees Fahrenheit and last several days
Body achesColds: Occasional, but mildFlu: Frequent, persistent, and sometimes intense
Tiredness/weakness/exhaustionColds: Occasional, but mildFlu: May be intense, last for weeks
Sore/scratchy throatColds: FrequentFlu: Occasional
Stuffy/drippy nose/sneezingColds: FrequentFlu: Occasional
CoughColds: Occasional, mild, hackingFlu: Frequent, dry, sometimes intense
HeadacheColds: Rare in adultsFlu: May come on suddenly; may be intense Image via iStock.com/KatarzynaBialasiewicz

title: “How To Tell The Difference Between A Cold The Flu” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-21” author: “Toni Davidson”

But how do you know if what you’ve got is a cold or the flu? Both are respiratory illnesses and share many symptoms, making them very difficult to tell apart, but the flu can sometimes lead to more serious complications, like pneumonia or bacterial infections, which can be dangerous. Colds are usually milder than the flu. They come on slowly and may last less than a week — though a really bad cold might settle in for longer. Early symptoms generally include a scratchy, sore throat and then a drippy nose, maybe some sneezing, eventually leading to a mild cough. Adults with colds usually don’t run a fever, though young kids sometimes do.
The flu, on the other hand, often announces itself with a miserable headache and a dry cough. (A drippy nose and sore throat do sometimes occur with the flu, but less frequently than they do with a cold.) You’ll feel achey and exhausted and may see the mercury rise as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit on your thermometer. You may feel better in a couple of days, or you may drag around feeling wiped out for weeks. On the bright side, while most people get a few colds a year, it’s unusual to get the flu more than once annually.
A quick rundown of symptoms:
FeverColds: Rare in adultsFlu: May range between 100 degrees and 104 degrees Fahrenheit and last several days
Body achesColds: Occasional, but mildFlu: Frequent, persistent, and sometimes intense
Tiredness/weakness/exhaustionColds: Occasional, but mildFlu: May be intense, last for weeks
Sore/scratchy throatColds: FrequentFlu: Occasional
Stuffy/drippy nose/sneezingColds: FrequentFlu: Occasional
CoughColds: Occasional, mild, hackingFlu: Frequent, dry, sometimes intense
HeadacheColds: Rare in adultsFlu: May come on suddenly; may be intense Image via iStock.com/KatarzynaBialasiewicz

title: “How To Tell The Difference Between A Cold The Flu” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-01” author: “Clara Meier”

But how do you know if what you’ve got is a cold or the flu? Both are respiratory illnesses and share many symptoms, making them very difficult to tell apart, but the flu can sometimes lead to more serious complications, like pneumonia or bacterial infections, which can be dangerous. Colds are usually milder than the flu. They come on slowly and may last less than a week — though a really bad cold might settle in for longer. Early symptoms generally include a scratchy, sore throat and then a drippy nose, maybe some sneezing, eventually leading to a mild cough. Adults with colds usually don’t run a fever, though young kids sometimes do.
The flu, on the other hand, often announces itself with a miserable headache and a dry cough. (A drippy nose and sore throat do sometimes occur with the flu, but less frequently than they do with a cold.) You’ll feel achey and exhausted and may see the mercury rise as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit on your thermometer. You may feel better in a couple of days, or you may drag around feeling wiped out for weeks. On the bright side, while most people get a few colds a year, it’s unusual to get the flu more than once annually.
A quick rundown of symptoms:
FeverColds: Rare in adultsFlu: May range between 100 degrees and 104 degrees Fahrenheit and last several days
Body achesColds: Occasional, but mildFlu: Frequent, persistent, and sometimes intense
Tiredness/weakness/exhaustionColds: Occasional, but mildFlu: May be intense, last for weeks
Sore/scratchy throatColds: FrequentFlu: Occasional
Stuffy/drippy nose/sneezingColds: FrequentFlu: Occasional
CoughColds: Occasional, mild, hackingFlu: Frequent, dry, sometimes intense
HeadacheColds: Rare in adultsFlu: May come on suddenly; may be intense Image via iStock.com/KatarzynaBialasiewicz

title: “How To Tell The Difference Between A Cold The Flu” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-02” author: “Heather Rogers”

But how do you know if what you’ve got is a cold or the flu? Both are respiratory illnesses and share many symptoms, making them very difficult to tell apart, but the flu can sometimes lead to more serious complications, like pneumonia or bacterial infections, which can be dangerous. Colds are usually milder than the flu. They come on slowly and may last less than a week — though a really bad cold might settle in for longer. Early symptoms generally include a scratchy, sore throat and then a drippy nose, maybe some sneezing, eventually leading to a mild cough. Adults with colds usually don’t run a fever, though young kids sometimes do.
The flu, on the other hand, often announces itself with a miserable headache and a dry cough. (A drippy nose and sore throat do sometimes occur with the flu, but less frequently than they do with a cold.) You’ll feel achey and exhausted and may see the mercury rise as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit on your thermometer. You may feel better in a couple of days, or you may drag around feeling wiped out for weeks. On the bright side, while most people get a few colds a year, it’s unusual to get the flu more than once annually.
A quick rundown of symptoms:
FeverColds: Rare in adultsFlu: May range between 100 degrees and 104 degrees Fahrenheit and last several days
Body achesColds: Occasional, but mildFlu: Frequent, persistent, and sometimes intense
Tiredness/weakness/exhaustionColds: Occasional, but mildFlu: May be intense, last for weeks
Sore/scratchy throatColds: FrequentFlu: Occasional
Stuffy/drippy nose/sneezingColds: FrequentFlu: Occasional
CoughColds: Occasional, mild, hackingFlu: Frequent, dry, sometimes intense
HeadacheColds: Rare in adultsFlu: May come on suddenly; may be intense Image via iStock.com/KatarzynaBialasiewicz

title: “How To Tell The Difference Between A Cold The Flu” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-10” author: “James Jones”

But how do you know if what you’ve got is a cold or the flu? Both are respiratory illnesses and share many symptoms, making them very difficult to tell apart, but the flu can sometimes lead to more serious complications, like pneumonia or bacterial infections, which can be dangerous. Colds are usually milder than the flu. They come on slowly and may last less than a week — though a really bad cold might settle in for longer. Early symptoms generally include a scratchy, sore throat and then a drippy nose, maybe some sneezing, eventually leading to a mild cough. Adults with colds usually don’t run a fever, though young kids sometimes do.
The flu, on the other hand, often announces itself with a miserable headache and a dry cough. (A drippy nose and sore throat do sometimes occur with the flu, but less frequently than they do with a cold.) You’ll feel achey and exhausted and may see the mercury rise as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit on your thermometer. You may feel better in a couple of days, or you may drag around feeling wiped out for weeks. On the bright side, while most people get a few colds a year, it’s unusual to get the flu more than once annually.
A quick rundown of symptoms:
FeverColds: Rare in adultsFlu: May range between 100 degrees and 104 degrees Fahrenheit and last several days
Body achesColds: Occasional, but mildFlu: Frequent, persistent, and sometimes intense
Tiredness/weakness/exhaustionColds: Occasional, but mildFlu: May be intense, last for weeks
Sore/scratchy throatColds: FrequentFlu: Occasional
Stuffy/drippy nose/sneezingColds: FrequentFlu: Occasional
CoughColds: Occasional, mild, hackingFlu: Frequent, dry, sometimes intense
HeadacheColds: Rare in adultsFlu: May come on suddenly; may be intense Image via iStock.com/KatarzynaBialasiewicz

title: “How To Tell The Difference Between A Cold The Flu” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-15” author: “Patricia Trevino”

But how do you know if what you’ve got is a cold or the flu? Both are respiratory illnesses and share many symptoms, making them very difficult to tell apart, but the flu can sometimes lead to more serious complications, like pneumonia or bacterial infections, which can be dangerous. Colds are usually milder than the flu. They come on slowly and may last less than a week — though a really bad cold might settle in for longer. Early symptoms generally include a scratchy, sore throat and then a drippy nose, maybe some sneezing, eventually leading to a mild cough. Adults with colds usually don’t run a fever, though young kids sometimes do.
The flu, on the other hand, often announces itself with a miserable headache and a dry cough. (A drippy nose and sore throat do sometimes occur with the flu, but less frequently than they do with a cold.) You’ll feel achey and exhausted and may see the mercury rise as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit on your thermometer. You may feel better in a couple of days, or you may drag around feeling wiped out for weeks. On the bright side, while most people get a few colds a year, it’s unusual to get the flu more than once annually.
A quick rundown of symptoms:
FeverColds: Rare in adultsFlu: May range between 100 degrees and 104 degrees Fahrenheit and last several days
Body achesColds: Occasional, but mildFlu: Frequent, persistent, and sometimes intense
Tiredness/weakness/exhaustionColds: Occasional, but mildFlu: May be intense, last for weeks
Sore/scratchy throatColds: FrequentFlu: Occasional
Stuffy/drippy nose/sneezingColds: FrequentFlu: Occasional
CoughColds: Occasional, mild, hackingFlu: Frequent, dry, sometimes intense
HeadacheColds: Rare in adultsFlu: May come on suddenly; may be intense Image via iStock.com/KatarzynaBialasiewicz

title: “How To Tell The Difference Between A Cold The Flu” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-05” author: “Dustin Burnett”

But how do you know if what you’ve got is a cold or the flu? Both are respiratory illnesses and share many symptoms, making them very difficult to tell apart, but the flu can sometimes lead to more serious complications, like pneumonia or bacterial infections, which can be dangerous. Colds are usually milder than the flu. They come on slowly and may last less than a week — though a really bad cold might settle in for longer. Early symptoms generally include a scratchy, sore throat and then a drippy nose, maybe some sneezing, eventually leading to a mild cough. Adults with colds usually don’t run a fever, though young kids sometimes do.
The flu, on the other hand, often announces itself with a miserable headache and a dry cough. (A drippy nose and sore throat do sometimes occur with the flu, but less frequently than they do with a cold.) You’ll feel achey and exhausted and may see the mercury rise as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit on your thermometer. You may feel better in a couple of days, or you may drag around feeling wiped out for weeks. On the bright side, while most people get a few colds a year, it’s unusual to get the flu more than once annually.
A quick rundown of symptoms:
FeverColds: Rare in adultsFlu: May range between 100 degrees and 104 degrees Fahrenheit and last several days
Body achesColds: Occasional, but mildFlu: Frequent, persistent, and sometimes intense
Tiredness/weakness/exhaustionColds: Occasional, but mildFlu: May be intense, last for weeks
Sore/scratchy throatColds: FrequentFlu: Occasional
Stuffy/drippy nose/sneezingColds: FrequentFlu: Occasional
CoughColds: Occasional, mild, hackingFlu: Frequent, dry, sometimes intense
HeadacheColds: Rare in adultsFlu: May come on suddenly; may be intense Image via iStock.com/KatarzynaBialasiewicz

title: “How To Tell The Difference Between A Cold The Flu” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-06” author: “Julio Villa”

But how do you know if what you’ve got is a cold or the flu? Both are respiratory illnesses and share many symptoms, making them very difficult to tell apart, but the flu can sometimes lead to more serious complications, like pneumonia or bacterial infections, which can be dangerous. Colds are usually milder than the flu. They come on slowly and may last less than a week — though a really bad cold might settle in for longer. Early symptoms generally include a scratchy, sore throat and then a drippy nose, maybe some sneezing, eventually leading to a mild cough. Adults with colds usually don’t run a fever, though young kids sometimes do.
The flu, on the other hand, often announces itself with a miserable headache and a dry cough. (A drippy nose and sore throat do sometimes occur with the flu, but less frequently than they do with a cold.) You’ll feel achey and exhausted and may see the mercury rise as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit on your thermometer. You may feel better in a couple of days, or you may drag around feeling wiped out for weeks. On the bright side, while most people get a few colds a year, it’s unusual to get the flu more than once annually.
A quick rundown of symptoms:
FeverColds: Rare in adultsFlu: May range between 100 degrees and 104 degrees Fahrenheit and last several days
Body achesColds: Occasional, but mildFlu: Frequent, persistent, and sometimes intense
Tiredness/weakness/exhaustionColds: Occasional, but mildFlu: May be intense, last for weeks
Sore/scratchy throatColds: FrequentFlu: Occasional
Stuffy/drippy nose/sneezingColds: FrequentFlu: Occasional
CoughColds: Occasional, mild, hackingFlu: Frequent, dry, sometimes intense
HeadacheColds: Rare in adultsFlu: May come on suddenly; may be intense Image via iStock.com/KatarzynaBialasiewicz