The Flu Versus The Common Cold: What's The Difference?

There are still unanswered questions in the world of medicine. Even everyday diseases like the common cold and the flu, are still under constant scrutiny. The differences between the cold and flu virus are distinct, and simple enough for the average person to identify.

In order to identify either, a little background should be known about them. The common cold and the flu are both respiratory illnesses, yet, they attack in different ways. The common cold is caused by rhinoviruses or coronaviruses. These viruses are caused by bacteria and can be assisted by up to 200 different viruses. This is the main reason why the common cold cannot be vaccinated. This may sound bad but, it is a much weaker virus than its counterpart, the flu.

The flu is caused by one virus, influenza. Once influenza enters the body, it duplicates itself, binds the cells, and sends them a message to distribute the virus. The flu can be compared to a football team in a sense. The flu assumes the position of the quarterback in the huddle. The quarterback huddles with the team, in this case the cells, and tells them what plays to run. That is the reason why certain strands the flu could be detected and vaccinated.

The flu is more serious disease because it causes the lungs to swell and weakens the immune system. This makes the body vulnerable to more serious diseases like pneumonia. It can also trigger other illnesses for people who have asthma and diabetes.

Influenza can last a few weeks, while the common cold fizzles out in a few days. Some symptoms of a cold may be a stuffy nose, headache, and minor body aches. When someone has the flu, those symptoms will be intensified and the body will be extremely fatigued,have a high fever, and respiratory congestion. For the common cold, a doctor's visit is not necessary. In contrast, the average flu sufferer may be opened to more serious diseases if a doctor is not visited. The toll the flu takes on the immune system can cause anyone to worry.

Even though antibiotics can be taken in either case, they are not always helpful. Though, antibiotics are known to remedy some of the sub-viruses caught with the common cold, they do not combat the flu or the common cold directly.

The two diseases are extremely different. Hopefully, some insight received on the two viruses by reading this article.