To eliminate the possibility of disease or quickly get rid of already acquired the disease - it is necessary to know the enemy in the face.

Influenza and the common cold have similar symptoms and effects - in some cases they are difficult to distinguish. But it is important to distinguish between these infections, otherwise you can not be treated with suitable medicines and even aggravate the disease.

We will understand with the reviewed infections:

• Influenza - an acute infectious disease of nature. The virus is spread lightning speed, constantly mutating, and periodically announced in the form of epidemics.
• Colds - a disease caused by acts hypothermia. Show symptoms in the respiratory tract area, often develops into more complex forms. 

It is clear that the flu - a distinct disease with pronounced acute symptoms. Colds - depending on the type and location of the place, can occur both acute and sluggish, but the danger of complications.

Briefly about cold

Colds - the result of hypothermia. Most often caused by hypothermia and soaked limbs, while
breathing cold air.

Colds develops slowly, affecting respiratory organs one by one.

Main symptoms:

• Runny nose - irritation and inflammation of the nasal mucous membrane infection. Under the influence of infectious microbes mucous membrane becomes inflamed, there is sneezing, itching, and swelling of the sinuses.
• Cough - a reaction to infection in the respiratory organs. Airways, the bronchi become clogged by-infection work substances (mucus, phlegm) - and the body clears these substances by means of coughing.
• Low temperature - a cold for several days seen a few fever (37-37,5 C). It is a reaction of immunity to infection penetration into the body, has been fighting the hostile germs.

Cold symptoms usually occur slowly and gradually. The first sign - a runny nose and a slight fever. Next there is a cough that lasts for several days.

About flu

Influenza - an acute disease in which there is multiple epithelial detachment tracheo-bronchial tree.

In the history of influenza is known by several outbreaks of epidemics and pandemics.

The virus is transmitted by almost all ways of infection and that the most dangerous, has the ability to mutate.

Main symptoms:

• The sharp rise of temperature - the first and most common symptom - the body temperature rise to a critical level (39-40 C). The temperature rises during the first hours of the active phase advance ailments - from 3 hours on a virus entering the body.
• Pain in muscles - may be pain in the muscles, aching bones, general aches various parts of the body. 
• Weakness - High temperature rise indicates a serious confrontation between the virus immunity. This weakens the body - sometimes the weakness to the level of danger - the patient can not lift his head. 
• Various symptoms - can manifest migraine, Sukhothai throat, small dry cough.

Flu, in fact, is colds more complex level, so these symptoms are similar ailments.

Moreover, the heat can be kept to a few days, other symptoms at the same time do not appear. In other cases, the patient experiences the full symptoms: pain in the muscles and bones, headache, high fever, and others.

Why is it important to distinguish a cold from the flu?

Unlike the common cold, influenza is a serious illness, life-threatening.

In percentage terms, the main risk group - children and pensioners - the people most susceptible to infection. Their immune system is weakened, which makes it easy to spread the flu in your body.

Why is it important to distinguish between infection:

• The high mortality rate - on statistics of health organizations from the flu and its variations die each year up to 500 thousand people around the world.. During pandemics - more than 1 million (2009 - swine flu pandemic)..
• Complicated diseases - serious complications are rare, but dangerous. Influenza is able to suppress the immune system and destroy the body's tissue barriers. Among the most dangerous complications: several kinds of pneumonia, lung abscess, meningitis, liver failure, myocarditis, neuritis and allergic shock.
• The sharp manifestation of symptoms - it is necessary to accurately set the malaise in the early stages and take action, or dramatic manifestation of the virus can rapidly cause irreversible consequences.

Today developed enough drugs, vaccines, can protect against the flu. The main danger not determine the type of ailment - the rate of spread of the virus and its symptoms manifestation.

How to distinguish the flu from the common cold

According to the above data it is clear that the flu and the common cold have almost the same symptoms. However, their expression of different, plus a number of non-visible signs.

How to determine the type of the disease:

• Pressing Penetration cough infections - colds infection spreads slowly and sluggishly progressing symptoms. The flu virus spreads rapidly, so the symptoms manifest rapidly - within a few hours the patient may experience all the symptoms of the disease.
• The initial symptoms - colds at the early stages appears cold, minimum cough, sore throat, a slight rise in temperature. Influenza immediately raises high temperature, harsh intoxication causes body aches and headache.
• Secondary symptoms - colds in the first days of sickness is an increase of symptoms force - clogged sinuses secretions, there is a general weakness, cough may increase. The flu fever continues to hold, possibly the onset of fever, pain eyeballs, chills.
• Cough - a cold sore starts easy, which gradually turns into a deep cough. The flu cough occurs some time after the disease and may be accompanied by chest pain and copious sputum.
• Sneezing - this feature applies only to the common cold, and comes with a runny nose. With flu sneezing is not seen.
• Headaches - the flu is hard intoxication, in which headaches are painful and pronounced. With colds headaches also occur, but not as strong - mainly due to the general state of the broken.
• Pain in muscles - practically does not occur with a cold. The flu - one of the demonstration features. Intense pain localized in different parts of the body. Turns and twists deliver a debilitating pain.
• Pain eyeballs - the flu begins due to intoxication or adenovirus infection. Eyes hurt and tears, after a few days can form pus. Colds may appear weak and sparse tracking eye redness proteins.
• Chills - convulsions, occurring against the backdrop of increased temperature. There is a pathology of nerve impulses - as a result of a person twitches and quickly slows down. There are mainly children. Cold-infection greatly increase the temperature not so chills often refers to influenza.
• Nausea - this feature is sometimes leads to confusion (identified by poisoning), but the nausea is the flu under intoxication. Cold causes nausea, if happens - as a result of other factors.
• Weakness - a sign of the two considered diseases. In the case of colds weakness observed not expressed, more often - in the aftermath of a painful period. The flu is the weakness of local character - the man is almost exhausted.
• The disease - the common cold lasts less and runs sluggishly. From overt signs - a deep cough. Flu and its symptoms occurs with acute manifestations.
• Recovery - recovery period of time depends on the human immune system. The difference for recovery - with colds usually passes quickly without pathologies. Influenza is characterized by high attenuation of the body, which leads to severe weakness and sleepiness during the recovery period.

Conclusion 

Colds and flu are often confused, both among themselves and with other diseases (eg poisoning).

Just pay attention to the temperature, headaches and muscle were. Do not forget that flu - deadly virus, and lost time can lead to irreversible complications.