Cold versus Flu

OK, we’re knee-deep in cold and flu season. As I sit here contemplating the difference between cold and flu, it strikes me that flu season has yet to hit us. So, if you’ve been sick so far this year, you’ve probably had the cold.

What is the “common cold”?  Well, it’s a viral infection, generally rhinovirus. Rhino…like the nose, not the animal (although the animal derives its name from the Greek word for nose due to the large nose-like proboscis on its head). So that can help you understand that the primary symptoms of colds are nasal symptoms. The first few days you feel tired and run-down.  Your throat starts to hurt. Then the nose starts to run and you sneeze. The nose then also becomes stuffy and congested.  It’s the stuffy and runny combination that if you really think about it is rather odd. How can something both be stuffed and running? That is more than I can say for Uncle Pat after Thanksgiving dinner! The interesting thing is that influenza (flu) also does that. The difference between the two is the intensity of symptoms.  Flu is a much more intense version of the cold.  Often, the mucous that is causing the congestion and runny nose causes a cough. I’d say easily, the cough is what brings people to the office when dealing with a cold.  It comes later in the course of illness and lasts beyond the time when you feel “sick."  You feel like the cold is gone but the cough can linger for weeks (yes, I said WEEKS).

One thing you may have noticed is that I did not mention fever. That’s because the cold doesn’t cause a fever. That’s not to say it won’t raise your body temperature, because it will. You just won’t have a fever.  So here’s a little tip. A temperature greater than 98.6 is NOT a fever. We refer to them as low-grade fevers but really they are not fevers. A fever starts when the temperature reaches 100.4. That seems like an odd number. It’s because scientific and global measurements are done with Centigrade temperatures. So that corresponds to 38C. Normal body temperature on that scale is 37. That one degree Celsius separates normal from febrile. So from 98.6 to 100.4 is not a fever. Why does it raise your temperature? Well, that’s because in fighting off this virus, your immune system gets activated. The T cells notice the virus and deploy a search-and-destroy call to other T cells.

Other symptoms include cough, congestion, fever (that one is almost a deal-breaker and without it, the flu is not really a consideration—so be sure to check your temperature…with a thermometer!), body aches, sore throat, and sometimes diarrhea. To remind you, the cold has those symptoms as well. The major difference is the sudden onset of the flu (all/most symptoms hit you at once, generally within 12 hours of each other) and the fever over 100.4. The colds all have the same basic symptoms but are generally more gradual in their onset (starts with a tickle in the throat for a day, then runny nose for a day, then cough…and lingers 10 days or more), are much less intense and often without that higher fever.

If you realize you have the flu and it’s been more than 48 hours of symptoms, available treatments aren’t going to work anymore. Even if we do treat these flu episodes, the medication has only been shown to shorten the length of time you’re sick by 1 day. So unless you have major medical conditions, specifically lung disease, we don’t automatically treat the flu with the anti-viral medicines because the side effects (on you, the patient) and the virus (it can make the virus mutate faster) aren’t always worth that 1 day of symptom improvement. We mostly focus our efforts on making you more comfortable while you are fighting this virus off. Once we know flu is in our area, we don’t typically test for it and treat you based on symptoms alone.

The good news is you don’t have to face this alone! Your healthcare provider at your PinnacleHealth Medical Group primary care office has you covered. If you feel you are sick and not sure if it’s the cold or the flu, ask one of the pros. It’s why we’re here, after all! Be well and stay well!!

Sandra R. Costa, DO, FAAFP

Heritage Family Medicine

Member, PinnacleHealth Medical Group

How to Avoid Getting Sick

Well, it’s official. Cold and flu season is officially here!! We sure hope you’ve been able to keep yourself healthy so far. It’s a long season, so I’m here to help you prepare yourself for the brunt of it, still to come our way. The best way to get over the cold or flu is to never get sick in the first place!!  How on earth do you do that, you ask? Well, it’s easy and hard, all at the same time. Oh, and much of what our moms taught us was right on…they’re almost always right, after all!

WASH YOUR HANDS!! Yes, I did yell it at you. I cannot underscore enough how important it is to wash your hands, so I’ll say it again. Wash your hands. Wash them after a trip to the grocery store, gas pump, religious service, doctor’s office (especially there!), work, school…. Do you get a sense that I want you to wash your hands a lot? Well, yes, I do. It is the single best means to prevent the spread of germs. That includes the cold, flu, stomach “bugs” and various other contagious creatures. We cannot protect ourselves from catching an “airborne” illness (more to come on that, keep reading) but we can protect ourselves from literally “catching” it in our hands. Perhaps that is where that term came from? So wash your hands.

Cover your cough. It is harder to keep from getting what we call a “airborne” illnesses. These are defined as something that when put out in the air (like from talking or coughing or sneezing) lingers like little droplets in the air. Think of the mist you see after spraying your cologne/perfume or those room deodorizers. The bacteria and viruses we blow out of our noses and mouths linger like that, for a longer period of time than those sprays. This malicious mist can go as far as 3 feet away! The droplets settle onto surfaces (think…telephone, keyboard, doorknobs) and we the pick them up with our hands (remember…wash your hands!).

The time they linger in the air is prime-time for spread to others. While we cannot keep that mist from getting into our noses/mouths, we can at least keep the mist from ever getting there in the first place.  That’s why I advise you to cover your cough. It keeps the particles from being spread among your family, friends, coworkers and classmates. It’s just the nice thing to do. Here’s the catch. Don’t cover it with your hand. That will just spread it in a different way. Cover your mouth/nose with the bend in your arm…think of grabbing your left ear with your right hand…that brings your elbow crease to your mouth causing that to get coated in germs instead of your hand. I can’t think of anyone who uses that part of their body to touch things on a regular basis. Do this when you cough or sneeze, every time; and take a moment to teach your children this trick as well.

Be good to yourself. I know this one is a hard one to do and there are many excuses as to why we don’t do this, but treat yourself well. Eat balanced, healthy, wholesome foods that are not filled with preservatives. The antioxidants in food are destroyed by the processing of food. We need those antioxidants to help us from getting sick. Eat a variety of colors in your diet and eat regularly throughout the day. If your body is trying not to starve, it won’t pay much attention to the virus or bacteria that are trying to invade your body. Also, sleep well. Get the optimum number of hours of sleep that you need. Everyone is different, so I won’t preach for you to get eight hours. Some can do fewer, some need more. Children are some who need more (if your child has to be dragged out of bed in the morning, perhaps an earlier bedtime is in order?).

If we don’t get enough time asleep to rest and recharge, the body has increased amount of stress hormones. While back in the days of cavemen those hormones kept us alive running from saber-tooth tigers, the stress of our lives now is not that significant. However, these hormones keep your body on high alert, thinking something big is coming to get us. The thing is, that big thing is not looming over our shoulders with sharp fangs. Sleeping is the one time of the day that we are supposed to relax and let go. When that doesn’t happen, the body is worried more about that tiger than the virus or bacteria trying to make its way into your system. The body has a very eloquent method of protecting itself and if we let that work, it can do wonders.

Vaccinate whenever possible. When we can amplify the body’s natural immunity with vaccinations that is even better; so if you haven’t yet called your PinnacleHealth Medical Group office to get yourself vaccinated against the flu yet, there’s still time and supply available. Some people also need vaccines against streptococcus Pneumoniae (pneumonia vaccine): diabetics, people with lung disease (including asthma) and those without spleens. If you are one of those people, talk to your provider about what other vaccines you may need as well.

Good luck with getting through this cold season. With some preparation, hand washing and TLC, this should be very manageable. If, despite your best efforts, you do get sick, know that we at PinnacleHealth Medical Group are here to help get you better and make you feel better along the way to wellness.

Sandra R. Costa, DO, FAAFP

Heritage Family Medicine

Member, PinnacleHealth Medical Group