Cold and Flu

It can sometimes be hard to tell whether you’ve caught a cold or come down with the flu, but there are usually a few signs you have one or the other, according to the CDC.

When you have a cold, you might notice that symptoms are more gradual; they may develop over the course of a day or a few days. You’re likely to have more uncomfortable upper respiratory symptoms than anything else, which can include a sore throat, cough, lots of snot and sneezing, and blocked sinuses. While it’s possible for a cold to cause a fever and body aches, these signs are not as common.

When you have the flu, the symptoms usually hit you pretty quickly: We’re talking body aches at noon with a full-blown fever by that evening. Fever and chills, muscle pain, and dreadful fatigue are all extremely common with the flu. You probably won’t notice as many chest and sinus-related symptoms as with a cold, but it is still possible to develop a cough or headache.³

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When you’re stuck in bed sneezing into your tissues or fighting off a fever, it can feel like it’s taking forever to recover. But for most people, “forever” is really about a week—the average amount of time it takes for a generally healthy person to get over a nasty cold or mild flu.

More specifically, the common cold usually lasts anywhere between 7 and 10 days, per the CDC, as long as you haven’t developed another condition, like bronchitis (inflammation in your lungs). The flu usually lasts about three to seven days, unless you fall into a high-risk group; in this case, it may take up to two weeks, sometimes longer, to fully recover, according to the CDC.

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It can feel downright miserable to be stuck in bed, sipping on soup and water, but this is exactly what you should be doing to feel better faster, per the CDC. Antibiotics don't work against viruses, so they won’t treat a common cold or the flu. Instead, the best thing you can do is give your body the time it needs to heal. “Supportive care is the foundation of treating respiratory illnesses,” Dr. Nolt stresses. “This includes taking medication to reduce fever, staying well hydrated, and rest.”

OTC medications that can help alleviate icky cold symptoms include pain relievers for things like muscle aches, throat lozenges for sore throat, saline nasal drops for congestion, and general cold medications that treat various symptoms at once, among others.²

As for treating the flu, an antiviral may help if your doctor recommends it. “These are prescription medications, such as oseltamivir and baloxavir, that can shorten the time of illness,” Dr. Beaird says. For anyone who faces a higher risk of potential complications, like pneumonia, antivirals⁴ are always recommended, he says. 

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Usually, a cold or flu will run its course and can be managed with home care, but it’s important to keep an eye out for symptoms of a serious infection or potential complications. “Regardless of which virus is causing the illness, signs that people should seek medical attention include difficulty breathing, pain in the chest, severe muscle pain, not urinating for many hours, or if pre-existing medical conditions become worse,” Dr. Nolt says.

Otherwise, take the time to rest, hydrate, binge-watch that show you’ve been meaning to get to, or whatever else it takes to get you back to feeling a bit more like yourself.

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You can’t always prevent a cold or the flu, but there are some things you can do to reduce your chances of getting sick. There is no vaccine for the common cold, so you’ll want to practice good habits to prevent the spread of this infectious disease, per the CDC:

• Get your yearly flu vaccine.
• Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently. Hand sanitizer helps in a pinch.
• Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough, ideally with a tissue or the crook of your elbow.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
• Stay home when you’re sick, if you can.
• Wear a face mask in public if you’re unsure what you’re sick with.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick or appear to be unwell.
• Frequently clean high-touch surfaces and objects in your home.

All of those tips are useful for preventing the flu too, but you do have one other powerful tool: the annual flu vaccine. “Vaccines are a way to give our immune system memory of viruses before we’ve been infected by them,” Dr. Beaird explains. This means that when you do encounter that same virus in the future, your body is better prepared to fight it off.⁵

You should aim to get your flu vaccine by the end of October since it takes a couple of weeks for your body to build up the necessary antibodies. Getting your flu shot, in addition to the steps above, can help you stay as healthy as possible during the colder months.

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Sources:

1. StatPearls, Upper Respiratory Infection
2. StatPearls, Influenza
3. American Family Physician, Treatment of the Common Cold
4. JAMA Network Open, Comparison of Antiviral Agents for Seasonal Influenza Outcomes in Healthy Adults and Children
5. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Vaccines for Preventing Influenza in the Elderly