Common Cold And Flu Got A Fact

Winter brings with it a number of things each year. Two of these things that seem impossible to avoid are the common cold and the flu (aka influenza). Every year without fail millions of people around the world will catch one of the two. Many people often mistake a common cold for the flu and vice versa. However, although they share many similarities they are actually two different conditions. In this article I will be discussing both the similarities and the differences between the common cold and the flu.

1) THEY BOTH HAVE DIFFERENT SYMPTOMS:- The symptoms of the common cold generally come on gradually. Whilst they are unpleasant they are not usually serious enough to stop you in your tracks. They can include; a blocked or runny nose, a sore throat, watery eyes and weakness.

Unlike the common cold symptoms which come on gradually, flu symptoms affect you very suddenly. Another key difference with flu symptoms is that they are normally serious enough to stop you performing day to day tasks and you will often be confined to your bed for a few days as a result. The symptoms can include; cold chills, muscle pain, nausea and vomiting.

2) THEY ARE DIFFERENT VIRUSES:- The common cold is usually caused by rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. These two types of virus infiltrate the cells in the nose and throat and recode their DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) so they can mimic them. They then use this DNA to produce more virus cells and allow the cold to spread.

The flu is caused by the influenza virus. It works in a similar way to rhinoviruses and coronaviruses but is much more far reaching invading the cells of the lungs and windpipe as well as the nose and throat. It then rewrites the DNA of these cells and uses it to produce new virus cells which spread around the body.

3) THEY ARE BOTH SPREAD THROUGH CONTACT:- The common cold and the flu are both spread through contact with an infected person. The viruses can be spread from one person to another in various way including; breathing, coughing and sneezing.

4) THEY ARE BOTH MORE PREVALENT IN THE WINTER MONTHS:- Most people contract the common cold and the flu between the winter months of December and March. No one knows exactly why this is the case as being cold does not make you more likely to be infected by either of these viruses. However, the most sensible suggestion is that people spend more time indoors over winter. Therefore, they are in closer proximity more often making it easier for the virus to spread.

As you can see whilst these two conditions do share numerous similarities they are both unique. The common cold is normally unpleasant at worst whilst the flu can take you out for a number of days. I hope this article has given you a better understanding of the two.