What are colds and flu?
Common colds and flu are contagious infections that affect the respiratory system. Colds are usually confined to upper respiratory spots like the nose and throat. Flu also involves the upper respiratory system but includes the lungs.
Colds and flu are very similar in their symptoms so they can both knock you down. Sometimes it is difficult to figure out exactly what is ailing you, an important distinction because treatments differ for the two. There is no vaccine for colds and a very limited application of influenza, or flu, medicine. So here are both of their symptoms for you to recognize.
Cold and Flu Symptoms
Cold viruses may take a day or two to develop into illness. Most common symptoms of colds are: runny or stuffy nose; mild to moderate fever; cough; mild tiredness; sore throat; headache or body aches; and sneezing.
Flu symptoms come on rapidly and are similar to colds, but they tend to be more severe. In the U.S., up to 20 percent of the population gets the flu. Besides encompassing all of the aforementioned cold symptoms, flu indications include: dry, hacking cough; chills; moderate fever (but not in all instances); severe muscle or body aches, and profound fatigue lasting up to two weeks. It may include vomiting or diarrhea, but these symptoms are mostly associated with children.
Speaking of the vulnerable, children, senior citizens and those with compromised immune systems have the highest risk of their illnesses turning into something serious, including death. Each year, 90 percent of the people who die from the flu and its complications are seniors.
Cold and Flu Complications
Complications of the common cold aren’t as serious compared to those of the flu. But they are nothing to sneeze at and should be watched. That simple cold could balloon into allergies, ear infections or a nagging cough, which could be a sign of either asthma or bronchitis. Your immune system might be weakened enough to allow bacterial infections of the sinuses and throat, resulting in sinus infections and strep throat.
Pneumonia is the most common complication of the flu, whether the origin is bacterial or viral. One-third of pneumonia cases originate with the influenza virus. Complications of pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs) include fluid buildup in and around lungs, bacteria in the bloodstream, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. There are also signs such as muscle inflammation (myositis) and infections of the central nervous system or the sac around the heart (pericarditis). Pneumonia symptoms include coughing with very little mucus, enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, sore throat, fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle aches and rapid breathing.
Myocarditis is the inflammation and destruction of heart tissue that can lead to fast heart failure. Symptoms involve swelling of the calves or ankles, chest pain when breathing, and difficulty breathing. Some will recover with few to no lasting effects of myocarditis. Others will need cardiac medications for the rest of their lives, and still others will need heart transplants.
Bronchitis is the bacterial or viral infection of the lungs that causes inflammation and irritation to the airways. Symptoms may be shortness of breath, a cough accompanied by thick, yellow or blood-streaked mucus, fatigue, chills and mild fever. Bronchitis can lead to asthma, emphysema, pneumonia, heart failure or pulmonary hypertension if left unchecked. See the doctor if you experience symptoms.
Sinusitis is the swelling of the sinuses. Pain and postnasal drip are symptoms of this disease, along with pain in the upper jaw and teeth, coughing, sore throat, and a reduced sense of smell and taste.
The streptococcus bacteria cause 7 million ear infections (otitis media) in the U.S. every year. Symptoms include chills, fever, ear drainage, vomiting, hearing loss, ear pain or mood changes. See the doctor when there is discharge, ear pain, changes in mental states such as confusion, fainting, excessive drowsiness, irritability or seizures.
Encephalitis occurs when the flu virus enters brain tissue and causes swelling, which then could destroy nerve cells, cause bleeding in the brain and brain damage. Meningitis is also caused by a viral inflammation of the tissue lining the brain and the spinal cord. Though these two conditions are rare, they are serious and worth mentioning.
Symptoms of encephalitis involve a high fever, light sensitivity, clumsiness, drowsiness, vomiting, severe headache, confusion, memory loss and seizures. It also may cause movement difficulties and tremors. Seek health care with symptoms like severe headache or fever, double vision, speech or hearing problems, severe mood changes, hallucinations, and paralysis.
Meningitis symptoms include joint pain, neck stiffness, sensitivity to bright lights, vomiting, sudden high fever, a severe, lasting headache, confusion or other mental changes. Watch for a reddish or purple skin rash that doesn’t turn white when you press a glass upon it. That is a sign of blood poisoning. Other symptoms for both meningitis and blood poisoning are fast breathing, lethargy, blotchy skin turning pale or blue, irritability, seizures, and cold hands and feet. Don’t delay -- see your physician right away because both could be deadly.
So now you know -- the noblest thing you can do to keep common colds and influenza viruses out of the office and out of your coworkers’ bodies is to keep your butt home when you are ill. And this applies to the CEO down to the cube farm, too!