Difference between flu and cold • Correctly interpreting symptoms

An uncomplicated one Respiratory infection cold begins about two to eight days after infection and rarely lasts longer than a week. A sick person can shed the pathogen for about two to ten days, in exceptional cases, for example when treated with certain drugs (steroids), even longer.

With the normal cold, there is hardly any fever

Typical symptoms of a cold are reddened ones Throat, moderate sore throat, sniff (initially watery, after three to four days purulent), obstructed nasal breathing, Headache and body aches, general fatigue and cough. However, in contrast to the flu, those affected have little or no fever. If the symptoms of the common cold decrease significantly after two to three days, this confirms the diagnosis of an uncomplicated one flu-like infection.

Even people with respiratory diseases like allergic asthma In the case of a viral rhinitis usually do not have any more serious symptoms than people with healthy respiratory tract, but can react more violently and have asthma attacks if they come into contact with the causes of their illness.

What is different about the real flu?

There is a uniform symptom pattern for real flu (Influenza) not, the range extends from few symptoms to the most severe courses with a fatal outcome. The symptoms of the flu can be very similar to those of an uncomplicated cold. They occur for a few hours or days infection on.

Cold Virus Survival Time

Typical symptoms and symptoms of flu

However, an often very sudden start with a high rate is typical fever over 39 degrees Celsius, chills, Muscle pain, sweats, general weakness, headache, sore throat, dryness cough as well as nausea and vomiting. In technical terminology, this complex of symptoms is also known as “influenza-like illness symptoms”.

In elderly patients one begins Virus flu often creeping, the complication rates are higher for this patient group. The symptoms usually last seven to 14 days. A general one Feeling weak and loss of appetite can persist for a few more weeks.

Flu complications especially in the chronically ill

Unlike the common cold, the real flu can have serious consequences. In principle, complications can occur at any age, but they primarily affect people with underlying diseases (chronic heart, lung or metabolic diseases, immune deficiencies, etc.).

The most feared complications are the sudden death of adolescents and young adults within a few hours as well as the occurrence of one directly caused by the flu virus lung infection (primary influenza pneumonia).

Influenza pneumonia with bacterial infections is relatively common Superinfection. This means that on the bottom of the viral pneumonia there is also a bacterial infection – triggered by Pathogen how Staphylococci, Pneumococci, Haemophilus influenzae – developed.

Other complications of influenza can include inflammation of the brain (encephalitis) and heart (myocarditis). With children one can Otitis media (Otitis media).

Get vaccinated against the flu

The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) recommends a flu vaccination for everyone who is chronically ill, such as asthma or COPD patients and senior citizens. Relatives of chronically ill babies should also be piqued in order to reduce the risk of infection for the child. However, if you have a cold now, you must not be vaccinated against influenza. "You should be healthy again for at least a week afterwards and only then get vaccinated," advises Ellen Lundershausen, Vice President of the German Professional Association of Otorhinolaryngologists.

Young children with influenza are more contagious

The Contagiousness In the case of the flu, unlike the common cold, begins shortly before the onset of clinical symptoms (within less than 24 hours) and usually lasts for three to five days thereafter. Young children can shed viruses earlier and for longer than adults.

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