What's A Cold? What's A Flu?

So we are at the start of cold and flu season, and, as many people seem to be sniffling and sneezing, we thought it would be a good idea to do a little PSA on these two common illnesses.

To start, when is cold and flu season?  While it varies in length from year-to-year, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that cold and influenza (flu) season typically starts in October and can last all the way until May, with January and February typically being the peak months for infection (basically, when temperatures are cold and everyone is staying indoors more).  While both of these illnesses have similarities, it is very important to know the difference between symptoms of the common cold and flu.



Both the common cold and flu are caused by viruses that spread mostly through direct contact.  A cold can last two or three weeks, with most people getting better within seven to ten days.  During infection, the common cold is primarily a head cold, centered in the nose, although general body aches and tiredness can be experienced.  With a cold, the most common symptoms are congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and a sore or scratchy throat, and rarely a fever (mostly experienced by infants and small children).  Influenza, however, is quite different, as the entire body experiences aches and extreme fatigue, with coughing and a fever over 100° F being quite common.  With a cold, the symptoms slowly begin to appear and are generally mild in their severity, whereas the flu has a sudden onset and the symptoms can be quite severe.

Now for a little history on influenza and the common cold.  The symptoms of human influenza were first described by Hippocrates roughly 2,400 years ago, though, the first convincing record of an influenza pandemic was of an outbreak in 1580, which originated in Russia and spread to Europe through Africa.  In addition, it is believed that the flu may have spread from Europe to the Americas as early 1493, when the entire indigenous population of the Antilles was killed by an epidemic that resembled influenza after the arrival of Christopher Columbus.  The largest flu outbreak recorded was the 1918 flu pandemic, also known as the Spanish flu, which is estimated to have killed 20-100 million people worldwide and had at least a 2% mortality rate (much higher than the usual rate of 0.1%).  The common cold was first named in the 16th century due to the similarity between its symptoms and those that experienced exposure to cold weather.  In the 18th century, Benjamin Franklin researched the causes and prevention of the common cold, and concluded that “people often catch cold from one another when shut up together in small close rooms, coaches, etc. and when sitting near and conversing so as to breathe in each other’s transpiration.”  Even though viruses had yet to be discovered, Franklin hypothesized that the cold was passed between people through the air, and recommended exercise, bathing, and moderation in food and drink consumption to avoid getting sick.  Around 150 years later, Franklin’s hypothesis on the transmission of the common cold was proven to be true.

Stay tuned as we post some tips to help prevent and treat these two illnesses in the coming days!