When you are feeling miserable and out of sorts it is hard to tell if you have a cold or the flu. The symptoms of both are rather similar which makes it harder to identify signs of cold vs. flu. Both the flu and a cold affect the respiratory system but are caused by different viruses. The general rule of thumb is that the common cold does not usually result in any serious health issues. The flu on the other hand can escalate into more serious problems such as pneumonia resulting in hospitalization. The definitive way to differentiate between the two is to run special tests.

A cold is most often caused by a rhinovirus. It is possible to catch a cold at any time of the year. However, they are more common in the winter as the dry air helps the virus thrive. The cold is transmitted by contact with the virus. The virus can be transmitted by someone who sneezes or coughs and sends virus-laden droplets into the air. The cold virus is also spread through contact with a surface that has been handled by a person with a cold.

1. Symptoms of a Cold
A person with a cold would have either a runny or stuffy nose. This is usually accompanied by sneezing, coughing, headaches, mild body pain, sore throat, and tiredness. There might be a fever that is not too high. A person suffering from a cold usually gets better in a little over a week.

2. Symptoms of the Flu
The flu is a more severe respiratory illness than the cold. The flu usually attacks in particular seasons unlike the cold. The colder months from autumn to spring are the flu season. The flu is also called influenza. Although the manner in which you get infected with the flu virus is very similar to the cold, it causes more severe symptoms. The exact types of flu viruses that are active differ each year. This is why scientists create a new formulation for the flu vaccine every year. The flu can cause very serious health issues for those who have weaker immune systems. Young children, older people, and pregnant women are also more likely to have more serious complications resulting from the flu.

3. Symptoms and Signs of Cold vs. Flu
When you have flu you tend to run a temperature that is much higher (100 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit) than if you catch a cold. When a cough is a symptom of the flu it can tend to become much worse than with the common cold. If the symptoms of the flu get much worse, they should be treated by a doctor immediately. One of the more noticeable signs of cold vs. flu is that the flu causes more severe tiredness and fatigue than the common cold. A high fever is accompanied by body pain that is more severe than with the cold. This could persist even after the person has recovered from the flu.