For years, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have been touting the difference between the cold and influenza, a.k.a. the flu. They are very different and thus should be treated differently.
The common cold is typically identified by sneezing, itchy throat and runny nose. According to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), 62 million cases of the common cold occur annually throughout the United States. Symptoms usually last one to two weeks and is considered the leading cause of doctor visits and missed days from school and work in the United States. NCHS also states that it is normal for children to have between two and six colds a year while adults will generally suffer with one to three colds annually.
Influenza is a contagious respiratory infection. Its symptoms are similar to the common cold but will often involve a fever or chills, muscle or body aches, headache, and general fatigue. Also like the common cold, the flu is not a bacterial infection; it is a viral infection. It is also important to remember that a cold never “turns into” the flu. A cold virus is a very different virus than influenza. They neither cross-breed nor turn into one or the other.
Despite all the claims from product manufacturers on television and in other advertisements, there is no cure for the common cold. Relief from symptoms can come by taking some sort of medication but it will not reduce the length of time you have a cold and it will never rid you of the cold itself. Antibiotics are not a cure for the common cold, which is a viral infection. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections. Over the past decades, people had been consuming antibiotics believing that they cured the cold or lessened its time of infection. This is far from the truth. The overuse of antibiotics only caused further complications in the human body. Over time, antibiotics can build up in a person’s system, making them ineffective against serious bacterial infections such as MRSA and similar harmful bacterial diseases.
Unlike the cold, influenza does have a bit of an edge in two ways. First, the best prevention against the illness is to obtain the vaccine. While September and October are the most beneficial times to receive the vaccination, it is not too late to be inoculated against the 2011-2012 influenza threat. Check with your doctor or the local health center for information on getting your flu shot now. In addition, the CDC has suggested using standard precautions to help prevent the spread of germs that cause the flu. This includes regular hand washing, use of hand sanitizers, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and limit your contact with those who are ill.
If you end up with the flu, you have the option of either allowing the infection to run its course or have your doctor prescribe one of two drugs approved by the Federal Drug Administration. These drugs, which assist in treating the flu, are usually prescribed over the course of five days and should be started within the first two days of diagnosis. The approved drugs are Tamiflu (generic name oseltamivir) and Relenza (generic name zanamiyir).
In some cases, both the common cold and influenza can cause complications. Both viruses have been known to spark bacterial infections of the middle ear or sinus. Influenza can also trigger complications in the form of pneumonia and bronchitis. In these cases, antibiotics are appropriate and will likely be prescribed by your personal care physician. However, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) strongly warns people to “not use antibiotics ‘just in case’ because they will not prevent bacterial infections.
Both the CDC and NIAID have detailed information posted on their websites on the common cold and the flu. Visit either http://www.cdc.gov/ or www.niaid.nih.gov for more details. If you do not have access to the internet, talk with your doctor or the local health center at 814-332-6947.
References:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Seasonal influenza (flu). Retrieved November 25, 2011 from http://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. (2011). Common cold. Retrieved November 25, 2011 from http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/commonCold/Pages/default.aspx.
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