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    Home » HEALTH » General Health

    What's the difference between a cold and the flu?

    Published: Jan 19, 2015 / Modified: Mar 1, 2020 by: Dr. Karen Lee / This post may contain affiliate links. As Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. /

    A cold and flu symptoms can be very similar so they can be confusing. But what's the difference between a cold and the flu? Recognizing the difference between the two can determine treatments. Here are ways you can distinguish between the two. thermometer on bed with used tissuesI don't know anyone who hasn't had a cold or the flu at least once in their lives. A common cold is one of the top reasons for children missing school and the flu causes U.S. employees miss millions of workdays costing the economy billions of dollars, not to mention, hundreds of lives every year.

    There are many ways to prevent cold and flu but doctors recommend getting the flu shots as if it's it's the only way to prevent it. Unfortunately, flu shots are not 100% effective in preventing the flu. Luckily, my family and I have avoided these dreaded infections for many years without getting the shots, thanks to our strong immune system and natural preventive methods.

    Until recently.

    My first flu

    I started getting sick with the flu right after Christmas while on a family vacation. Then, my daughter, and my mom came down with it. At first, I thought I just had a head cold. But it quickly became clear that I had the flu. How did I know? In general, flu symptoms are more severe and the duration is longer. My daughter recovered in 10 days (it's great to be young!) and I recovered from it in 3 weeks while it took my mom nearly two months before she was completely better. Flu can take up to 6 weeks to 2 months, depending on age and health status, to completely resolve. And our experiences proved that.

    Since we were on a family vacation, living in the same condo, eating together, and doing activities together, it was inevitable that we passed the virus from one another, even with precautions we took. When we were sick, we stayed up nights with fever, chills, body-aches, headache, and coughing. We were extremely tired that we couldn't do a thing during the day. I never watched so much TV in my life!

    What we felt were nothing compared to a little head cold but we got better with many of the natural immune boosting protocols, including drinking lots of tea made with honey ginger lemon syrup, eating Asian pear cough remedy made with honey, soothing our throats with Ginger Honey Cough Drops, eating spicy soups,  lots of spicy kimchi (hello, probiotics!), mega doses of Vitamin C and more exotic herbal teas my mom made. It was grueling few days before we could come home and rest some more.

    So how can you tell whether you have a cold or the flu?

    Here is the breakdown.

    What's the difference between a cold and the flu?

    COLD

    • Caused by the most common virus, Rhinovirus
    • Sneezing
    • Sore Throat
    • A watery runny nose with head congestion
    • Clear mucus but may get dark and thick
    • Coughing - productive
    • Unlikely fever in adults & low grade fever in children
    • Headache
    • Incubation Period - 1-3 days
    • No vomiting or diarrhea
    • No exhaustion
    • If symptoms persist for >1 week, check for hay fever or allergies

    FLU

    • Caused by Influenza virus
    • Sneezing
    • Chest Congestion
    • Thick mucus production
    • Coughing - dry or productive
    • Fever >100ºF in adults for 3-4 days
    • Headache
    • Incubation Period - 1-3 days
    • May involve vomiting and/or diarrhea
    • Extreme exhaustion, especially at the beginning but fatigue may linger for 2-3 weeks
    • Symptoms may last for 4-6 weeks

    Complications

    A complication from a cold can lead to a sinus infection. But complication from the flu can lead to bronchitis or pneumonia, especially for elderly, young children or immuno-compromised patients. If you have problems breathing or heart palpitations, you have to go to the doctor immediately. You should also watch for a returning fever after being gone for a few days. That can indicate pneumonia.

    We took my mom to an Urgent Care in fear that she may have a bronchitis or pneumonia but the attending doctor confirmed after a lab test that she only had the flu and fortunately, no bronchitis or pneumonia. And all he recommended was a plenty of rest, fluid, and Tylenol if needed. And boy, did we rest and rest and rested some more. We couldn't DO anything due to fatigue. I didn't feel that level of fatigue even after giving birth!

    While the flu was nothing but a nuisance, it resolved without further complications because we were relatively healthy. We were much better with all the home remedies we used, received chiropractic spinal adjustments regularly, and we ate healthy wholesome food normally.

    If you don't know if you have a cold or the flu, check the list of symptoms above to determine if you need further treatment.

    Disclaimer: Flu like symptoms can mimic many serious conditions. And a mild viral or bacterial infection can lead to something more serious than a common cold or flu. If symptoms persist or worsen, see your doctor. These preventive methods are my opinion only and what works for me. This is not a medical advice nor the methods have been proven to prevent flu or cold.

    More General Health

    • 9 Best Natural Cold and Flu Prevention Tips
    • Peppermint Tea and Toothpaste for a Headache
    • Can Prolonged Sitting Really Kill You?
    • 50 Natural Remedies for Common Cold or the Flu

    About Dr. Karen Lee

    I am a food writer, recipe developer, and a cookbook author sharing my family’s favorite simple & easy, allergy-friendly recipes with you! Let's connect on Instagram || Facebook || Pinterest || YouTube Learn more about me on the ABOUT page.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dr. Karen says

      January 21, 2015 at 4:07 pm

      Megan Stevens Glad it's helpful!

    2. Dr. Karen says

      January 21, 2015 at 3:55 pm

      casaofemery Oh, boo. Sorry to hear that. If he's having heart palpitations, he should definitely consult with his doctor again. Hope he feels better.

    3. Kylie Worthington says

      January 21, 2015 at 3:26 pm

      So important to know the difference! Thanks for sharing.

    4. Megan Stevens says

      January 21, 2015 at 3:23 pm

      Thanks, this is a really helpful distinction!! I love the lists with symptoms!

    5. casaofemery says

      January 21, 2015 at 1:53 pm

      Pneumnia, eh? Wow. I didn't know that. My husband had the flu, got a sinus infection AND double ear infections which then resulted in one of his eardrums rupturing. He is still pretty tired and said his heart is palpating. Perhaps he should get re-evaluated. Thanks for sharing!

    6. Chloe says

      January 21, 2015 at 11:32 am

      Thanks for the issue. I've never really known what the difference is. I usually decide what I've gotten based on its severity.

    7. Dr. Karen says

      January 21, 2015 at 11:10 am

      [email protected] Talk Sorry you had bronchitis and pneumonia. My daughter gets Bronchitis sometimes too and it's awful. I am feeling better but still phlegm-y. Those suckers don't leave that quickly! Damn virus.

    8. [email protected] Talk says

      January 21, 2015 at 9:41 am

      I had pneumonia twice and the symptoms above were the same for the flu.  However, mine started from a cold that went into bronchitis.  Once you get pneumonia, it is so easy to get again.  I am glad you are better.

    9. Dr. Karen says

      January 21, 2015 at 7:04 am

      Kim Finnigan You had it twice? Oh boy. I never had the flu until this year and it was bad. 🙁

    10. Dr. Karen says

      January 21, 2015 at 7:03 am

      iamgreenbean stomach flu is the other kind of flu but that's probably caused by norovirus  and not by influenza. Good point!

    11. AndHereWeAre says

      January 21, 2015 at 4:37 am

      Very helpful!  Thank you!

    12. iamgreenbean says

      January 20, 2015 at 11:50 pm

      This is helpful. I tend to always think of the flu as the stomach flu but realize that it does not always involve that.  Here's to staying healthy the rest of this year!

    13. Kim Finnigan says

      January 20, 2015 at 10:09 pm

      I've had the flu twice, and it was horrible. Completely laid out for days! Thanks for the clear run down, this flu season is super scary. 🙁

    14. Dr. Karen says

      January 20, 2015 at 9:37 pm

      ReneeKohley Thx Renee! At first, I thought I had a cold but it was worse than just a sniffle. And when my mom's test came back positive for the flu, I knew that's what I had too. Thx for pinning!

    15. Dr. Karen says

      January 20, 2015 at 9:35 pm

      natfitfoodie It's tricky for sure. As I implied in the beginning of the post, one important difference is that sometimes flu can kill but I haven't heard of cold being lethal. Glad the post helped. 🙂

    16. Recipes to Nourish says

      January 20, 2015 at 7:34 pm

      This is really helpful. Thanks for breaking it down for us.

    17. ReneeKohley says

      January 20, 2015 at 5:08 pm

      Oh this is great Dr. Karen! Thank you! They are so similar! Pinning this for reference!

    18. natfitfoodie says

      January 20, 2015 at 5:06 pm

      Thank you Dr Karen! I sometimes use both terms inter changeably not really knowing the difference. Very informative. Thanks for clearing that up.. 🙂

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