Difference Between The Common Cold Flu And Pneumonia
  This is an extensive look at the difference between the common cold flu and pneumonia. This is vital in understanding how the influenza virus type A, B and C works. Like the common cold, influenza is strictly a respiratory infection. It affects the nose, throat and chest, not any other parts of the body. The terms “stomach flu” and “intestinal flu” are misnomers. These ailments are caused by gastrointestinal viruses or bacteria. They are unrelated to true influenza and rarely accompany it in adults; on the other hand, children stricken with flu often suffer digestive upsets that are a side effect, not the result of gastrointestinal infection.
Particles of a genuine flu virus behave much like cold virus particles. But the illness itself usually is quite different. Although colds are confined to the nose and throat, classic influenza infects the lower respiratory tract as well and affects the entire body, prostrating its victims for days with fever and widespread muscle aches.
Because the behavior of flu varies so widely that no single symptom distinguishes it from colds, bronchitis, strep throat and other common respiratory infections, it usually is diagnosed on the basis of several symptoms rather than any one. Fundamental difference between the common cold flu and pneumonia.
• Influenza nearly always starts out with a fever of at least 1000 F. Colds rarely are accompanied by fever, except those in children.
• The onset of flu generally is abrupt and severe, in contrast to the slow crescendo of most colds. In one study, 75 per cent of the flu patients were struck suddenly; many could actually pinpoint the exact hour of the attack.
• Flu’s constitutional symptoms, such as general weakness, headache, chills and widespread muscle aches, usually overshadow its local cold symptoms, typically sore throat and nasal congestion. Colds, on the other hand, begin with specific local symptoms, Furthermore, in most influenza cases the local symptoms are less severe than those of a full-fledged cold.
• About 90 per cent of flu victims have a dry, hacking cough. Colds are less often accompanied by coughs, and their coughs generally are less painful.
• Sixty per cent of flu victims complain of sore eyes, often accompanied by a burning sensation, redness, watering and sensitivity to light. Another important difference between the common cold flu and pneumonia.
• In nearly half of flu cases, patients have a noticeably flushed face and hot, moist skin. Colds seldom cause either of these symptoms in adults.
As the percentage figures indicate, none of these distinctions absolute. Half the flu cases experience flushing faces, but half do not. That is why distinguishing between a simple cold and the more dangerous influenza requires consideration not only of the symptoms themselves but also of the time at which they appear. A runny nose, for example, usually appears earlier in colds than in flu.
Recognizing the symptoms
The course of an individual case of influenza is virtually impossible to predict, but statistical studies have revealed a general pattern. On the first day of illness, a victim’s fever rapidly rises to about 101° F. and, in severe cases, as high as 104° F. The fever usually is accompanied by headache, chills and a crushing sense of weariness that confines even a stoic to bed. In most cases, muscle and joint aches develop rapidly—caused, scientists theorize, by by-products that the battling flu-virus particles and white blood cells release into the bloodstream.
The “troublesome cough” reported in the 17th Century by Dr. Willis is the most common chest symptom, but in a few flu patients—primarily heavy smokers and those with lung or heart diseases—the cough is a deep, excruciating bark. Even worse, flu often is responsible for a whole list of additional complaints: dizziness, a ticklish throat, loss of appetite, hoarseness, insomnia, slight nausea and—not surprisingly—depression and irritability.
After the first day or two, flu symptoms usually begin to subside, unless complications develop. The fever diminishes each day, usually reaching normal by the fourth day. In a few cases, however, it lasts longer or peaks again on the third or fourth day. As the fever diminishes, constitutional symptoms such as muscle aches gradually abate, leaving in their wake a profound lassitude and predominantly respiratory symptoms. A key difference between the common cold flu and pneumonia.
A flu victim generally has a stuffy nose or sore throat for at least three days after fever disappears; the cough persists a few days longer, until the lining of the respiratory tract regenerates. The whole process, from its onset to the return of full health, takes at least a week, occasionally several weeks, and much longer if complications such as bacterial pneumonia ensue. Misdiagnosis is a major cause of death, so it is absolutely vital known the major difference between the common cold flu and pneumonia. |
