Cold and flu season is upon us -- but how do you know which one you have? There are some specific differences between the two and health reporter Val Lego breaks it down for us.
The flu is going to come on fast and hard, you'll see symptoms including a dry cough, severe achiness, high fever (103 degrees or higher), chills and sweats.
Flu symptoms will last two to three days, but it will take the body about two weeks to fully recover -- and for about a week, the flu virus is very much still contagious.
Cold symptoms come on slowly over a few days they include a stuffy, runny nose, sneezing, cough with yellow or green phlegm, sore throat, and sometimes a mild fever (below 101 degrees).
Cold will typically last between one and two weeks -- and can be contagious that entire time.
The best way to cut back on spreading germs is covering your sneezes and coughs. Using a tissue or elbow can help -- but germs from a sneeze can travel up to 200 feet. The only protection from the flu is a flu shot. Unfortunately, we haven't discovered a cure for the common cold -- yet.
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