With all of the information about the H1N1 flu that is out right now, it makes everyone nervous when you hear your child(ren) cough or sneeze. Some of the symptoms seem fairly similar and it can get confusing as to whether your child(ren) are suffering from the flu or just a cold. Although with any sign of an illness you should contact your doctor for advice, here are some of the symptoms of each illness.
A cold:
- rarely has a fever
- rarely has a headache
- commonly causes body aches and pains
- often causes weakness or fatigue
- commonly causes a stuffy nose
- usually causes sneezing
- commonly causes a sore throat
- commonly causes coughing or a sore chest
The Flu:
- normally causes a high fever for 3-4 days
- commonly causes a headache
- commonly causes severe body aches
- often causes fatigue for anywhere from 2-3 weeks
- commonly causes exhaustion
- sometimes causes a stuffy nose
- sometimes causes a sore throat
- often causes a cough, which can become severe
I can not stress enough, if you or your child are feeling ill, it is important to contact your doctor to discuss your symptoms. This only provides a guideline to help ease worries if your child has a slight cough or runny nose. In my experience, because I have had family members with a case of sever influenza, it is much different than a cold. Although many of the symptoms are similar, the flu is much more severe. When my husband came down with it, we thought he had a cold, until he began to get severe body aches and a very high temperature. This caused us to take him to the Urgent Care, at which time they rushed him to the Emergency Room.
To help prevent the spread of any illness, especially the H1N1 flu, ensure you are washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If you do not have soap and water available, use an antibacterial gel. Ensure you are covering coughs and sneezes.
