What is the Difference Between A Cold and A Flu?

By Teresa Richter, ND

It is that time of year again where we are trying our hardest to fight off the latest virus. When you are around others who are sick or have caught something yourself, it can sometimes be confusing as to what you have contracted. Knowing the difference between the symptoms can be helpful information to help you decide when it is time to stay home and when it may be ok to go to work or school. 

Both the common cold and the flu are caused by a virus. They often have similar symptoms, however, the flu is often much more severe. The common cold is often caused by the rhinovirus, whereas the flu is caused by the Influenza virus. 

Symptoms of the flu include:

• Fever higher than 100 degrees F lasting 3-5 days
• Headaches
• Severe body aches
• Extreme fatigue
• Sore throat
• Chills and shivering
• Sometimes vomiting, diarrhea, more commonly in children 
• Sometimes nasal congestion or runny nose

Symptoms of the common cold include:

• Sore throat
• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Watery eyes
• Sometimes headache
• Mild body aches
• Runny nose or nasal congestion, should pass within a few days
• Fever is uncommon

Sometimes the symptoms of both can seem very similar to each other, except for those few key differences. It can sometimes be unclear which is which without doing any testing. One of the biggest differences between the two is severity and duration. The duration of the flu usually lasts 7 days or greater, where a common cold should resolve after 3-5 days, sometimes 7 in more compromised individuals. The presence of a high fever, chills, body aches, sore throat lasting more than a few days is often an indication of the flu. 

If you have contracted the flu it is imperative you stay home. It is more probable that you will spread your illness to those around you. If you have contracted the common cold, you may be less likely to spread your illness if you and others around you have good hand washing practices. In terms of prevention, sometimes, with the flu, it is extremely hard to prevent. Hand washing, getting plenty of rest, making sure you are taking your vitamins, and sometimes a flu shot can help prevent you from getting the flu. 

The same goes for the common cold except there is no vaccine. Elderberry syrup, Vitamin D, and Vitamin C taken during cold and flu season can help to reduce your chances of contracting the flu or even a common cold. 

The stomach flu as it is often called is actually viral gastroenteritis. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes fever. It is often contracted by coming in contact with an infected person or by ingesting contaminated food or water. Viral gastroenteritis in the absence of respiratory symptoms is not actually “the flu”, even though sometimes called stomach flu. This can be even more confusing because sometimes the influenza virus can also cause gastrointestinal symptoms of diarrhea, and nausea.

However, if you only have gastrointestinal symptoms, you most likely either have viral gastroenteritis or bacterial infection that may need to be evaluated if it doesn’t resolve within 3-5 days. The most common cause of viral gastroenteritis is either the norovirus or rotavirus. These are most commonly spread through a person with the virus handling food or water.