Features
Flu
Your throat hurts and your body aches. It's hard to breathe, and a cough keeps you awake all night. But is it a cold or the flu? Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference.
The biggest tip off is your temperature. Adults rarely have high fevers with colds, especially not in the early stages. The flu, however, usually triggers a temperature of 100 to 102 degrees in adults, often higher in children.
Another clue is how quickly the symptoms came on. Usually a cold progresses slowly, developing over days. The flu hits quickly, often in three to six hours.
With a cold, the symptoms usually attack above the neck. They include:
- Runny nose
- Watery eyes
- Congestion
- Sneezing
- Cough
With the flu, your first symptom could be sudden energy-sapping exhaustion. Others include:
- Nausea or diarrhea
- Severe headache
- General aches and pains
- Chills
There is a simple test to find out if it is the flu that's making you miserable, and it's available at your local Doctors Care.
There is also a simple way to prevent the flu, without making yourself miserable. It is the flu shot vaccination, and it's also available at your local Doctors Care. Call or visit your nearest Doctors Care location to find out more.
