Flu Vs. Cold

Flu and cold both have almost common symptoms but they are not similar. Flu can be more dangerous than the cold. This article discusses the differentiating factors of the common cold and the dangerous flu.

Flu:

Flu, known as Influenza causes by the Influenza virus. It is the lower respiratory tract infection including nose, throat and lungs of the person. About more than 10 million cases are found suffering from flu in India every year. And, about 30,000 people die due to its complications every year. It is highly infectious and can be life threatening in people with other lung or related complications.

Causes:

Influenza virus is differentiated into three types -Influenza virus A, Influenza virus B and Influenza virus C. These viruses are highly infective and can live on the surfaces for several hours. Even a single droplet of aerosol measuring about 0.5 to 5 μm can infect a person.

The virus infects person through 3 modes of transmission

1. Direct transmission - The infected person passes mucus directly on the other person by sneezes or coughs.

2. Airborne transmission - Where the person inhaling the aerosols of infected person sneeze, cough or spit get infected by it.

3. Hand-eye, Hand-nose, Hand-mouth transmission - Where the person gets infection by touching the contaminated surface or use pens, books, knobs etc and then touches his eyes or mouth or nose thereby acquiring the infection.

Risk group:

Although it can infect any person, the highest risk group of infection are children, pregnant women, old age people, and people with chronic respiratory diseases and in patients with less immunity like HIV and in people with chronic steroids.

Symptoms:

Usually symptoms appear about 2-3 days after the exposure of the virus. It usually lasts up to 2-3 weeks. Common symptoms for flu are headache, fever ranging between 100-103°F, cold sweats, shivers or chills, muscular aches especially severe joint pains, nasal watery discharge, sneezing, nasal congestion, sore throat, irritation in the eyes with watering, dry cough and extreme weakness. In children there can also be gastric disturbances like nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea present.

Complications:

Flu can be life threatening when not treated early and can lead to the complications like emphysema, viral pneumonia or secondary bacterial pneumonia, COPD, bronchitis, ear infections like otitis media and many other chronic conditions are triggered or aggravated during this period such as cardiac diseases like coronary heart diseases, congestive cardiac failure, metabolic disorders like diabetes, HIV, cancer, liver diseases and kidney diseases.

It may also lead to the condition called Narcolepsy, a neurological disorder where the person will have excessive sleeping spells irrespective of time and place. It is noted that almost about 2 lakh people get hospitalized for the complications every year.

Diagnosis:

• Usually it gets difficult to diagnose between the cold and flu, but careful history and symptoms can be helpful in diagnosing.
• It is also diagnosed through the viral culture done by the samples taken from nose, mouth and sputum. 
• A rapid card test called Rapid influenza diagnostic test is also conducted where the results are obtained within 30 minutes of the sample collection.
• A polymerase chain treatment can also be done for the accurate diagnosis of the case.

Prevention:

World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended vaccinations for flu every year in adults, but it is partially effective.

Clean hands with soap after direct contact of the infected person.

It is advisable for flu patients to avoid social gatherings.

Treatment:

• The treatment for flu include both conservative line of treatment and the oral medications.
• In conservative line of treatment, doctors advise to increase the fluid intake and adequate rest.
• Oral medications include the anti-viral drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza which are mostly recommended. Analgesics, decongestants and cough syrups are used according to symptoms.
• Aspirin should be avoided in children as this may lead to Reye’s syndrome.

Common Cold:

Cold is the most commonly seen infectious disease. About more than 10 million people are affected by common cold every year in India. It is usually low-risk infectious viral disease.

Causes:

It is disease caused by about 200 viruses. The most commonly seen viruses are rhinovirus, corona virus, adenovirus, respiratory syncytical virus and the para influenza virus. It is an upper respiratory tract infection including nose and throat. It is usually self-limiting and lasts for about 7-10 days.

Symptoms:

The symptoms of cold are sneezing, thin watery nasal discharge, watery eyes with irritation in the eyes and nose, nasal congestion, sore throat, fatigue, body ache and loss of appetite. Sometimes in the later stages there may also be yellow or greenish nasal discharge. But in children cold usually be associated with fever.

Complications:

As this is a self-limiting disease, it does not have any other complications.

Diagnosis:

It is usually self-diagnosable by the signs and symptoms. No tests are required for the diagnosis of the disease.

Prevention:

• Avoid exposure to cold weather for those who are sensitive to cold weather and cold winds.

• As the infection spreads through air, by the sneeze and cough droplets of the infected person, personal hygiene is to be maintained and use of face masks can be helpful.

• Avoid direct contact with the infected person.

Treatment:

Cold treatment includes the first line of treatment such as drinking plenty of fluids. In case of sore throat, gargling salt water can be helpful. Other symptoms require symptomatic medicines like analgesics or decongestant sprays. No antibiotics are required for the common cold.