Cold, Flu, or Allergies: 10 tips to detect by symptoms
 

Each year millions of school days and workdays are missed because of colds and flu. How best to treat your condition depends on which is ailing you.

There are few ways to distinguish a cold from flu:

The flu starts very abruptly.  The symptoms vary from individual to individual. However, flu has a stronger effect on our body, as it is more limiting. When one has an attack of flu, it is impossible to work or participate in normal day-to-day activities because one feels too ill.  

In comparison, a cold starts gradually with some (or all) of the symptoms;  There may be one or two days when one feels ‘under the weather’, but by and large, it is perfectly reasonable to expect someone with a cold to carry on with normal day-to day activities.

When sniffles, a stuffy nose, and coughing begin, here are some tips to help you decide how to handle your symptoms correctly:

1. Fever: Never with an allergy, always with the flu, sometimes with a cold. Flu fevers usually last three to four days.
2. Headache: Common with the flu but not with allergies or colds.
3. General aches and pains: Often severe with the flu. Never occur with allergies; only slight aches accompany a cold.
4. Fatigue and weakness: Common with the flu and can last up to three weeks. Rare with colds and allergies.
5. Stuffy, runny nose: Common with allergies and colds; occasionally accompanies the flu.
6. Sneezing: Common with allergies and colds; occasionally accompanies the flu.
7. Sore throat: Common with colds; occasionally accompanies allergies and the flu.
8. Cough: Common with colds and the flu; rare with allergies.
9. Chest discomfort: Common with the flu. Mild to moderate with colds; rarely occurs with allergies.
10. Night cough: this is in fact a syndrome of an allergy or asthma rather than a cold or flu.