Differences Between the Common Cold, Seasonal Flu, and H1N1 Symptoms

Getting Sick? What's Wrong?

During Flu season, you want to be careful that you don't assume you have the common cold to find out you're much sicker than you thought. It's a good idea that you know the basic symptoms of common illnesses so that you can make sure to get yourself or someone else medical assistance before the symptoms worsen.

For parents, it's always good to know the signs of illness in case your child gets sick, but the same goes for adults and the elderly. You want to make sure that when you're sick, you get treated before it worsens and develops into something worse.

Although, the symptoms may vary per person as to the severity, below you'll find the basic signs of the cold, flu, and H1N1.

Symptom	Common Cold	Seasonal Flu	H1N1 (Swine Flu)
Fever	Rare	Common	Fever is usually present in up to 80% of cases, with fever being over 101F
Coughing	A hacking, productive (muscus-producing) cough is often present	A non-productive (dry and hacking/non-mucus producing) cough is often present	A non-productive (dry and hacking/non-mucus producing) cough is usually present
Aches	Slight body aches and pains may be present	Moderate body aches are common	Severe aches and pains are common
Stuffy Nose	Stuffy nose is commonly present, but typically resolves within a week	A runny nose is commonly present	Stuffy nose is not commonly present
Chills	Not common	Mild to moderate chills	60% of cases experience chills
Tiredness	Fairly mild tiredness	Moderate tiredness that can most likely be described as lack of energy.	Moderate to severe tiredness
Sneezing	Common	Common	No common
Symptom Onset	Cold symptoms will usually developing over a few days	Flu symptoms tend to develop over a few days, and generally include a flushed face, loss of appetite, dizziness, vomitting/nausea, and diarrhea. Symptoms usually last about 4-7 days.	Rapid onset of symptoms within 3-6 hours. H1N1 hits hard and fast. Includes sudden symptoms like high fever, diarrhea, and aches and pains that generaly last 4-7 days.
Headache	No common	Fairly common	Very common in about 80% of cases
Sore Throat	Common	Common	Not common
Chest Discomfort	Mild to moderate chest chest discomfort	Moderate chest discomfort, but if it turns severe you'll want to seek medical assistance fast and soon	Often severe chest discomfort

The Cold, Flu, & H1N1

Common Cold- A contagious, viral infection that occurs in the upper respiratory system, the common cold is one of the most common illnesses during the fall and winter seasons. In most cases, the illness will go away on its own, but in many cases, you want to take medication to help ease the symptoms that you're experiencing. There is no cure for the common cold, as it is an infectious disease, but the illness is rarely fatal. For the most part, if you can keep the symptoms under control, you can beat the cold within a week or so. Although, you may experience a few lingering symptoms, the overall cold will have been beaten and you would have only spent a few bucks at the pharmacy.

Seasonal Flu- In most cases, the flu may treat itself and run its course, but if you develop the flu, it's a good idea to get properly treated. In most cases a doctor will prescribe antiviral drugs to help your body and immune system beat the symptoms of the illness. The seasonal flu is contagious, which is why if you have the flu, you need to quarantine yourself until your doctor says that you are no longer contagious. Death is more frequent in related to the flu than it is the common cold, but the symptoms can be controlled.

H1N1- A contagious viral infection that may also be referred to as the Swine Flu. This illness can be much more severe that the flu. It is necessary that H1N1 is treated if symptoms appear. A doctor can run a few tests to determine the H1N1 diagnosis, and the prescription antibiotics are necessary in order to treat the illness. There are cases, where medical treatment is not needed, but at the same time most cases of H1N1 require medical assistance, treatment, and in some cases hospitalization. The swine flu has caused many deaths, which is why it is important to seek medical assistance if you think that you have H1N1.

Disclaimer: Please be aware that the advice in this article should in no way replace that of a licensed doctor. Consult your doctor if you think that you have the flu or H1N1. Also, consult your doctor if you feel that over-the-counter medications are not helping your symptoms, as a proper diagnosis will lead you to a proper treatment.

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HerbalScience 2 years ago

You provide some very useful information for many people on determining if they have a cold or flu. No matter if a person has a cold or flu it is important that they keep themselves healthy and well-hydrated to fight off the germs. In fact the best way to prevent getting any of these conditions is to keep your immune system healthy and be sure to wash your hands.

Kmadhav 2 years ago

Great Hub and thank you for this hub I will forward to my friends.

Truth From Truth 2 years ago

very helpful at a season that its a concern. thanks for your post.

kirstenblog Level 1 Commenter 2 years ago

I enjoyed this hub, I would add that consideration should be taken in regards to lung infections. I say this because at the start of spring/summer I came down with the worst flu since childhood, it at some point turned into a lung infection. I just recently came down with a mild cold, nothing much really except that almost straight away I got another lung infection, it feels pretty mild in comparison to last time. Thing is that last time I got sick I had it in my head that it might be swine flu and called all the advised numbers and they didn't seem interested as I did not need to stay in the hospital, without the lung infection it probably would not have felt so horrid.