Do you have a cold or the flu?

These general guidelines can help determine if you have the common cold or the flu.

Symptom	Cold	Flu
fever	rare	102 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit; lasts three to four days
headache	rare	yes
general aches, pains	slight	yes; often early on
extreme exhaustion	never	rare
stuffy nose	common	sometimes
sneezing	usual	sometimes
sore throat	common	sometimes
chest discomfort, cough	mild to moderate; hacking cough	common; can become severe
complications (problems)	sinus congestion or earache	bronchitis or pneumonia; can be life-threatening
Prevention	Use good respiratory and hand hygiene to stop the spread of germs.	Get a seasonal flu vaccine each year.
Treatment	Consider over-the-counter medicine for temporary relief of symptoms.	Ask your doctor about antiviral medicines if you are pregnant or if you have a chronic (long-lasting) illness.

Stop the spread of germs that make you and others sick

Clinic or Hospital Visit Tips

While you are visiting a health care facility:�

If you cannot get to a sink to wash your hands, please ask your�health care provider for a waterless alcohol handrub.
Please ask your health care provider if he�or she cleansed his or her hands before touching you. Your provider will cleanse his or her hands with a waterless alcohol handrub or with soap and water.
Before you or anyone else handles your baby, make sure hands are cleansed.

If you are coughing or sneezing,you may be asked to put on a surgical mask to protect others.

Serious respiratory illness like influenza (flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), whooping cough (pertussis), and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) are spread by:

coughing or sneezing
having unclean hands.

To help stop the spread of germs:

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
Put the used tissue in the waste basket.

Cleansing your hands is the easiest way to reduce the risk of spreading germs that cause infections.

Wash your hands regularly.��
Wash your hands after using the bathroom, blowing your nose,coughing, sneezing, or before eating.