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Take steps to prevent and treat common cold and flu

  • Published
  • By Capt. Trevor Sherrick Smith
  • 375th Medical Operations Squadron
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  As the days are shortening and the holiday season is approaching, cold and flu season is back in force. While the symptoms of the common cold and the flu are very similar, it is important to be able to distinguish between the two and to know who is at high risk of complications from the flu. Those at high risk for complications may need to be treated with anti-viral medications or antibiotics. It is also important to get vaccinated, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released this year's batch of vaccines covering the three most likely influenza viruses responsible for this year's flu outbreaks.

The following is a list of the most common symptoms associated with both the flu and the common cold: fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny/stuffy nose, muscle/body aches, headaches, and fatigue. The flu and the common cold are both upper respiratory illnesses but they are caused by different viruses. Because these two types of illnesses have similar symptoms, it can be difficult to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. The flu is more severe than the common cold, and symptoms such as fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough are more common and intense.

Colds are usually milder than the flu, and people with colds are also more likely than people with the flu to experience a stuffy/runny nose. In some cases, a nasal/throat swab performed at your physician's office can be used to detect the most common flu viruses.

Prevention and Treatment of the Common Cold
Cold prevention involves proper hand hygiene (hand washing and refraining from touching the mouth, eyes, or nose) as well as isolation from others who are currently infected with a common cold virus. Treatment for the common cold is primarily symptomatic. Since the common cold is caused by a virus, antibiotics will not help it get better. A runny nose or cold almost always gets better on its own, so it is better to wait and take antibiotics only when they are absolutely needed. Each time you or your child takes an antibiotic, the bacteria that normally live in your body (on the skin, in the intestine, in the mouth and nose, etc.) are more likely to become resistant to antibiotics, which can lead to more serious infections in the future.

This being said, when common colds last longer than 10-14 days, or when symptoms initially improve and then worsen suddenly with the onset of a fever, a bacterial infection is more likely and may require treatment with an antibiotic.

Prevention and Treatment of Influenza (Flu)
According to the CDC, everyone six months of age and older should be vaccinated for the flu unless they have a severe egg allergy, currently have a fever, or have a history of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (a paralytic illness) that occurred after receiving influenza vaccine and who are not otherwise at risk for severe illness from influenza.

There are two U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved antiviral drugs recommended by the CDC. To treat the flu, these medications are most useful when prescribed within the first 48 hours of the illness and given for a course of at least five days. It's very important that antiviral drugs be used early in people who are at risk of developing serious flu complications. People at greater risk for serious complications from the flu include people with: asthma, blood disorders, chronic lung disease, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disorders, liver disorders, severe obesity, neurodevelopmental conditions, people with weakened immune systems due to disease or medication (HIV/AIDS, cancer, or those on chronic steroids or immune suppressors), adults over 65, children under 2, and pregnant women up to two weeks from the end of pregnancy. Most otherwise-healthy people who get the flu do not need to be treated with antiviral drugs, and will clear the infection within 7-14 days on their own. When in doubt about flu risks and complications or the flu vaccine, contact your healthcare provider team.