Flu symptoms are: headache, sore throat, body aches, chills, fever, dry cough, stuffy nose and extreme exhaustion. However, cold symptoms are: sneezing, runny nose, and mild cough. Colds rarely produce fevers, headaches or extreme exhaustion and do not require special medication.
If the following symptoms develop during a cold, you may have a bacterial infection:
Earache
Stiff neck
Temperature 101 degrees
Ongoing sore throat
Inability to swallow
Sensitivity to bright light
Nausea
Diarrhea
Flu vaccine has side effects similar to these symptoms (fever, tiredness, sore muscles), but may last for only two days. October and November is the best time to get vaccinated; for high- risk individuals - September.
Avoiding the flu virus
Can the flu be avoided? Only if you can avoid other people that have it. Sometimes that is not possible, but precautions to assist in preventing the spread of infection can be taken to help avert it. During the cold and flu season:
Wash hands frequently with soap and water
Cover the mouth when coughing or sneezing
Avoid rubbing the eyes and nose
Avoid putting things in the mouth (chewing on pens, etc)