Flu or cold? It's important to know the difference

  Do you have the flu or do you have a cold?

  It behooves you to know the difference, especially since flu can be serious.

  “The flu virus can become very serious, killing as many as 30,000 people annually in the United States,” said Cesar Reta, an epidemiologist for the Yuma County Health Department. “A doctor must perform a test to see if the patient has the virus and not some other disease, such as the common cold.”

  According to Yuma Regional Medical Center, there are differences in symptoms between the common cold and influenza that will help you tell the two apart:

  • Fever is mild with a cold. With the flu it can last up to four days and soar above 100 degrees.

  • Headaches are uncommon with a cold and common with the flu.

  • Aches and pains are mild with a cold, but may be severe with the flu.

  • Tiredness is mild with a cold, but common with flu, lasting up to three weeks.

  • Extreme tiredness is never associated with a cold, but can be severe at the beginning of the flu.

  • A stuffy nose and sneezing are common with a cold, but uncommon with the flu.

  • A sore throat is common with a cold, but happens much less often with the flu.

  • Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold, but can be extremely severe with the flu.

  • A cold can cause a hacking cough, while flu will most likely cause productive coughing.

  Of course, only a professional with a degree in medicine can properly diagnose any disease.

  Benito Lopez, another epidemiologist with the health department, says that the best treatment for flu is prevention.

  “If a person gets the vaccine, they are protected. There is still time for people to get immunized. The flu usually resurges in January because a lot of people come in contact with others during their vacations and bring it back to Yuma.”

  “We recommend that you get the vaccine early in the season, which runs from October through the beginning of May,” said Reta. “If a person is not vaccinated, the disease can thrive during the cold months and be passed to others.”

  Lopez said it is important to get the vaccine every year.

  “The flu virus mutates every year, and you should get the shot during every season so that your body can deal with the new mutation.”

  Reta said the body will remember how to fight past viral strains for years.

  “All vaccines will stay in your immune system's memory. So if the same virus comes around again, you will most likely be immune to it. It is important to remember, though, that the flu will most likely change every year.”

  As an epidemiologist, Lopez said that his job is to “determine where the infections came from, where they are at and where they are going. We try to break the cycle.”

  Reta said Yuma has been fortunate as far as the flu is concerned this year.

  “The health department has three surveillance sites in the county which help us keep track of the flu's progression. As of Dec. 20th, out of 1,147 people who checked into the emergency room at the Yuma Regional Medical Center, only four had a flu-type illness.

  "One of our successes this year as a community was that the private sector was doing a lot in correlation with the hospital to prevent the disease by setting up clinics around town.”

  “We will continue to observe and monitor the population in the county - which is about 185,000 people - throughout the year to see how people are doing,” said Lopez.

  To be vaccinated, call the Yuma County Immunization Department at 317-4559.