How do I know if my child has a cold or the flu?
My child is coughing and has a runny nose, but I'm not sure if it is a cold or the flu. How can I tell the difference?
The flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses but they are caused by different viruses. Typically, the flu (also known as influenza) has symptoms that make a child feel worse than symptoms associated with a common cold, but it's not always that easy to tell the difference between the two. To help determine whether your child's fighting the flu or combating a cold, review the following questions:
| symptom | Cold | Flu |
|---|---|---|
| Coughing | A hacking, productive cough (mucus- producing) | A non-productive cough (non-mucus producing, dry cough) |
| Stuffy Nose | Stuffy nose that typically resolves spontaneously within a week. | Not commonly present |
| Sneezing | Sneezing is common | Not commonly present |
| Sore Throat | Sore throat is common | Not commonly present |
| Fever | Not commonly present | Fever is usually present (temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days) |
| Aches | Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold. |
Severe aches and pains are common with the flu. |
| Chills | Not commonly present | 60% of people who have the flu experience chills. |
| Tiredness | Tiredness is fairly mild. | Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu. |
| Sudden Symptoms | Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days. | The flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains. |
| Headache | Not commonly present | A headache is very common (present in 80% of flu cases) |
| Chest Discomfort | Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold. | Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu. |
