A cold and a flu are terms often used synonymously, but they are actually very different. A cold (rhinovirus) is milder, usually targeting the upper respiratory tract, nose, throat sinus, and head or chest cold. A flu (influenza) will have you under the weather anywhere from a few days to several weeks. Leaving your body and muscles weak, you’ll experience fevers, headaches from the flu. It also has the potential to turn into a more serious health problem like pneumonia or bronchitis
Viruses cause both a cold and flu, but sometimes it can be difficult to determine whether you have a viral or bacterial infection because, often, the symptoms are the same.
Even though a cold and flu are different, they are treated the same. First and foremost: rest, even if you have ‘so much work to do’, stop—just rest. You won’t be doing anyone any favours by pushing yourself when you’re already weak. Low appetite is common, perfectly normal and actually good for the body when getting through a cold. Keep fluid intake high, and feed yourself warm cooked foods, like soup. Steer clear from sugar and alcohol as they will exacerbate inflammation as well as dairy products which will produce more mucus. Support the immune system with vitamin C rich foods, like citrus fruits, which are mixed nicely in a tea with garlic, ginger and honey. Echinacea is the favoured and number one immune modulating herbal supplement.
There is one thing for sure about a common cold – it’s pretty common. In the office, on public transport,
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