Common Flu Symptoms May or May Not Be the Flu

Common flu symptoms, in many ways, are very similar to symptoms of the common cold. According to the CDC, common flu symptoms typically come on quickly and can be any of the following:

Headache
High Fever
Tiredness/weakness, which can be extreme
Runny Nose
Body and/or Muscle Aches
Dry Cough
Sore Throat
Diarrhea and Vomiting (usually more common in children)

Just because an individual may have one or more of the common flu symptoms listed above does not necessarily mean they have the flu. The common cold has many of the same symptoms as flu, as well as many other respiratory illnesses.¹

Cold vs. Common Flu Symptoms
Both the cold and the common flu are caused by viruses. The similar symptoms between the two illnesses may make it difficult to determine which one someone may have. Typically, the common flu symptoms are much more severe than those of the cold. The symptoms listed above including fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough are often much more common and more intense with the flu. People with the flu do have the potential to develop more serious health issues. In contrast, people with the cold usually do not go on to more serious health problems.

Common Flu Symptoms and How to Know if Someone Has the Flu
According to the CDC, most adults may be able to infect others beginning one day before common flu symptoms develop and up to five days after becoming sick. It is possible to pass the flu onto others before one knows they are sick and after they become sick. One option your doctor may choose to identify if the symptoms you may be experiencing are really the flu or just a cold is to give you a flu test. The QuickVue® Influenza A+B Test is an easy-to-use rapid flu test your doctor can give you with results to influenza A and B showing up in 10 minutes or less. This helps the Doctor determine, within minutes, if you have the flu or not.²

Contact your healthcare professional today and ask for the QuickVue Influenza A+B Test to assist in the diagnosis of influenza A and/or B.

¹http://www.flutest.com/flu-facts/flu-symptoms.htm

²http://www.flutest.com/rapid-flu-test/