Cold & Flu & Sore Throat

 

Overview

Your nose is stuffy, your throat is scratchy, and your head is pounding. Is it a cold or the seasonal flu? Symptoms can overlap, so unless your doctor runs a rapid flu test — a quick check done with a cotton swab from the back of your nose or throat — it’s hard to know for sure.

Here are some basic guidelines for telling the difference between cold and flu symptoms, and what to do if you have either one of these infections.

How to spot the difference

Viruses cause colds and the flu. Both are respiratory infections. The simplest way to tell the difference is by looking at your symptoms.

If you have a cold, you’ll probably have symptoms like these:

• runny or stuffy nose
• sore throat
• sneezing
• cough
• headache or body aches
• mild tiredness

Flu symptoms can include:

• dry, hacking cough
• moderate to high fever, although not everyone with the flu will run a fever
• sore throat
• shaking chills
• severe muscle or body aches
• headache
• stuffy and runny nose
• severe fatigue that may last up to two weeks
• nausea and vomiting, as well as diarrhea (most common in children)

Colds come on gradually over a few days and are often milder than the flu. They usually get better in 7 to 10 days, although symptoms can last for up to 2 weeks.

Flu symptoms come on quickly and can be severe. They usually last 1 to 2 weeks.

Use your symptoms as a guide to figure out which condition you have. If you think you might have the flu, see your doctor to get tested within the first 48 hours of showing symptoms.

What is the common cold?

The common cold is an upper respiratory infection caused by a virus. According to the American Lung Association, more than 200 different viruses can cause the common cold. However, according to the Mayo Clinic, the rhinovirus is most often the one that makes people sneeze and sniffle. It’s highly contagious.

Though you can catch a cold at any time of year, colds are more common during the winter months. This is because most cold-causing viruses thrive in low humidity.

Colds spread when someone who’s sick sneezes or coughs, sending virus-filled droplets flying through the air.

You can get sick if you touch a surface (such as a countertop or doorknob) that has recently been handled by an infected person and then touch your nose, mouth, or eyes. You’re most contagious in the first two to four days after you’re exposed to the cold virus.

How to treat a cold

Because a cold is a viral infection, antibiotics are not effective at treating it.

However, over-the-counter medications, such as antihistamines, decongestants, acetaminophen, and NSAIDs, can relieve congestion, aches, and other cold symptoms. Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration.

Some people take natural remedies, such as zinc, vitamin C, or echinacea, to prevent or relieve cold symptoms. The evidence is mixed on whether they work.

A 2015 study in BMC Family Practice found that high-dose (80 milligram) zinc lozenges could shorten the length of colds if taken within 24 hours of showing symptoms.

Vitamin C doesn’t seem to prevent colds, but if you take it consistently, it might lessen your symptoms, according to a 2013 Cochrane review. Echinacea hasn’t been shown to help prevent or treat colds. A 2017 study in BMJ found vitamin D helps protect against both colds and flu.

Colds usually clear up within 7 to 10 days. See a doctor if:

• your cold hasn’t improved in about a week
• you start to run a high fever
• your fever doesn’t go down

You could have allergies or a bacterial infection that requires antibiotics, such as sinusitis or strep throat. A nagging cough could also be a sign of asthma or bronchitis.

How to prevent a cold

There’s an old saying that goes, “We can put a man on the moon, but we still can’t cure the common cold.” While it’s true that doctors haven’t yet developed a vaccine, there are ways to prevent this mild but annoying affliction.

Avoidance

Because colds spread so easily, the best prevention is avoidance. Stay away from anyone who’s sick. Don’t share utensils or any other personal items, such as a toothbrush or towel. Sharing goes both ways — when you’re sick with a cold, stay home.

Good hygiene

Practice good hygiene. Wash your hands often with hot water and soap to get rid of any germs you might’ve picked up during the day or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Keep your hands away from your nose, eyes, and mouth when they’re not freshly washed. Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. Always wash your hands afterward.

What is the seasonal flu?

Influenza — or the flu, as it’s better known — is another upper respiratory illness. Unlike a cold, which can hit at any time of year, the flu is generally seasonal. Flu season usually runs from fall to spring, peaking during the winter months.

During flu season, you can catch the flu in the same way you’d pick up a cold: By coming into contact with droplets spread by an infected person. You’re contagious starting one day before you get sick and up to 5 to 7 days after you show symptoms.

The seasonal flu is caused by the influenza A, B, and C viruses, with influenza A and B being the most common types. Active strains of influenza virus vary from year to year. That’s why a new flu vaccine is developed each year.

Unlike the common cold, the flu can develop into a more serious condition, such as pneumonia. This is especially true for:

• young children
• older adults
• pregnant women
• people with health conditions that weaken their immune system, such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes

How to treat the flu

In most cases, fluids and rest are the best ways to treat the flu. Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Over-the-counter decongestants and pain relievers, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, may control your symptoms and help you feel better.

However, never give aspirin to children. It can increase the risk of a rare but serious condition called Reye’s syndrome.

Your doctor may prescribe antiviral drugs — oseltamivir (Tamiflu), zanamivir (Relenza), or peramivir (Rapivab) — to treat the flu.

These drugs can shorten the duration of the flu and prevent complications such as pneumonia. However, they may not be effective if not started within 48 hours of getting sick.

Staying healthy

The best way to prevent the flu is by getting the flu shot. Most doctors recommend getting the flu vaccine in October or at the very start of flu season.

However, you can still get the vaccine in late fall or winter. The flu vaccine can help protect you from getting the flu and can make the illness less severe if you do catch the flu.

To avoid picking up the flu virus, wash your hands often with soap and warm water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your nose, eyes, and mouth. Try to stay away from anyone who has the flu or flu-like symptoms.

It’s important to adopt healthy habits to keep cold and flu germs at bay. You should always make sure you get plenty of sleep, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise, and manage your stress during cold and flu season and beyond.

What is a sore throat?

A sore throat is a painful, dry, or scratchy feeling in the throat.

Pain in the throat is one of the most common symptoms. It accounts for more than 13 million visits to doctor’s offices each year (1Trusted Source).

Most sore throats are caused by infections, or by environmental factors like dry air. Although a sore throat can be uncomfortable, it’ll usually go away on its own.

Sore throats are divided into types, based on the part of the throat they affect:

• Pharyngitis affects the area right behind the mouth.
• Tonsillitis is swelling and redness of the tonsils, the soft tissue in the back of the mouth.
• Laryngitis is swelling and redness of the voice box, or larynx.

Sore throat symptoms

The symptoms of a sore throat can vary depending on what caused it. A sore throat can feel:

• scratchy
• burning
• raw
• dry
• tender
• irritated

It may hurt more when you swallow or talk. Your throat or tonsils might also look red.

Sometimes, white patches or areas of pus will form on the tonsils. These white patches are more common in strep throat than in a sore throat caused by a virus.

Home remedies for a sore throat

You can treat most sore throats at home. Get plenty of rest to give your immune system a chance to fight the infection.

To relieve the pain of a sore throat:

• Gargle with a mixture of warm water and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt.
• Drink warm liquids that feel soothing to the throat, such as hot tea with honey, soup broth, or warm water with lemon. Herbal teas are especially soothing to a sore throat.
• Cool your throat by eating a cold treat like a popsicle or ice cream.
• Suck on a piece of hard candy or a lozenge.
• Turn on a cool mist humidifier to add moisture to the air.
• Rest your voice until your throat feels better.

How a sore throat is diagnosed

During the exam, the doctor will ask about your symptoms, and will use a light to check the back of your throat for redness, swelling, and white spots. The doctor might also feel the sides of your neck to see if you have swollen glands.

If the doctor suspects you have strep throat, you’ll get a throat culture to diagnose it. The doctor will run a swab over the back of your throat and collect a sample to test for strep throat bacteria. With a rapid strep test, the doctor will get the results within minutes.

To confirm the diagnosis, the sample will be sent out to a lab to be tested. A lab test takes one to two days, but it can definitively show that you have strep throat.

Sometimes you might need more tests to figure out the cause of your sore throat. You can see a specialist who treats diseases of the throat, called an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor or otolaryngologist.

Medicines

You can take medicines to relieve the pain of a sore throat, or to treat the underlying cause.

Over-the-counter medications that relieve throat pain include:

• acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
• aspirin

Don’t give aspirin to children and teenagers, as it’s been linked to a rare but serious condition called Reye’s syndrome.

You can also use one or more of these treatments, which work directly on the pain of a sore throat:

• a sore throat spray that contains a numbing antiseptic like phenol, or a cooling ingredient like menthol or eucalyptus
• throat lozenges
• cough syrup

Shop for throat lozenges.

Shop for cough syrup.

Some herbs, including slippery elm, marshmallow root, and licorice root, are sold as sore throat remedies. There’s not much evidence these work, but an herbal tea called Throat Coat that contains all three did relieve throat pain in one study.

Shop for Throat Coat herbal tea.

Medications that reduce stomach acid can help with a sore throat caused by GERD. These include:

• Antacids such as Tums, Rolaids, Maalox, and Mylanta to neutralize stomach acid.
• H2 blockers such as cimetidine (Tagamet HB), and famotidine (Pepcid AC), to reduce stomach acid production.
• Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as lansoprazole (Prevacid 24) and omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid OTC) to block acid production.