Colds and the flu are both common respiratory viruses that are often mistaken for one another. Both are viral illnesses, although the viruses are different for each disease. Neither can be cured, but their symptoms can be treated and practicing prevention methods can help people avoid either colds or the flu.
Causes
Colds and the flu are caused by different viruses. The influenza virus is always responsible for the flu, but this virus frequently mutates and recombines to form many different variants. Occasionally, the flu virus will recombine with other viruses, such as those found in pigs or birds, and create a completely new type of flu. Colds, on the other hand, can be caused by more than 200 different viruses, according to pediatrician Dr. Alan Greene. These include rhinoviruses, respiratory syncitial viruses (RSV) and many others. Cold viruses do not tend to combine with other viruses to form more deadly strains.
Symptoms
While colds and flu share some symptoms, they do have a few differences. Typically, the flu produces more severe symptoms than a cold, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). For example, the flu is more likely than a cold to produce a fever and extreme exhaustion. The symptoms of a cold also tend to mainly involve the nose, including postnasal drip, stuffiness and sneezing. The flu has more general symptoms such as headache, aching muscles and chills. While both influenza and cold viruses can cause coughing as a symptom, people with the flu tend to have more dry coughs, while those infected with a cold often produce wet, productive coughs that bring up mucus from the throat. Symptoms of the flu also tend to come on quickly, while cold symptoms will develop more slowly over the course of a few days.
Prevention
A vaccine is available each year for the prevention of the flu. Every year, researchers study the variants of flu in circulation to determine which three will be prevalent that year, and create a vaccine based on the most likely types. Sometimes a special vaccine is created for specific variants of the flu that are spreading at a given time, such as H1N1, also known as swine flu. There is no vaccine for colds and prevention involves hand washing and avoiding exposure to people who have a cold. These things are also used in prevention of the flu.
Complications
Colds tend not to cause other complications in otherwise healthy people. The flu can cause serious complications, including pneumonia, bacterial infections and even death. According to Dr. Greene, the flu causes over 36,000 deaths each year.
