At A Glance:

• Colds
• Flu
• Colds and Flu - facts in common
• What have you got?
• When patients should see a doctor
• Who should have a flu vaccine?
• What about the new anti-viral flu drugs
• Cold truths - not to be sneezed at

Colds

• There are nearly 200 viruses known to cause colds.
• More women catch colds than men but they are less severe.
• Early symptoms of a cold include a tickle in the throat, followed a few days later by sneezing and a watery discharge from the nose.
• Cold symptoms last anything from 4 -14 days.
• Colds become less common as people get older. Children may have as many as ten a year, elderly people may have one a year, or none at all.

Flu

• Like colds, flu is caused by a virus.
• The flu virus was first identified in 1933. There are only three types of the virus, but many strains.
• Colds and flu are quite different illnesses. Flu has the following symptoms which distinguish it from a cold:
• Sudden or rapid onset of symptoms
• High temperature
• Chills and fever
• Headache
• Weakness and aching muscles
• Loss of appetite
• Between 4 and 15 per cent of people over 20 years old catch flu each year.
• In Britain alone, more than 150 million working days are lost each year because of flu-related illnesses at a cost of £6.75 billion.
• Flu tends to occur in small outbreaks or epidemics, particularly when a new strain of the virus develops.
• Flu symptoms usually clear up in 7-10 days.
• People with flu are likely to need to spend a few days in bed.
• Death from flu is not common. Most of these rare deaths occur in people over 75 years.

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Colds and Flu - facts in common

• Colds and flu cannot be helped with antibiotics. They are both viral infections.
• Each time someone catches a cold or flu they develop an immunity to that viral strain.
• Colds and flu must run their course. The best approach is for people to minimise the their symptoms at an early stage and allow their bodies to fight the infection.
• People with a cold or flu are at their most contagious in the early stages, before their bodies' defences have begun to beat the infection.
• There are more cases of colds and flu in the winter months not because the cold makes our bodies more prone to infections but because people tend to spend more time together indoors. Viruses get trapped in the moist humid air - an ideal environment for them to thrive in. They are then breathed in, spreading easily from person to person.

What have you got?

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When patients should see a doctor
In most cases people should be able to get over a cold or flu without seeing a doctor. If the following symptoms develop, however, they should consult with their GP.

• A persistent fever - above 38.5ºC (101ºF) in adults, or 39ºC (102ºF) in children
• Painful, swollen glands
• Difficulty with swallowing or breathing
• Chest pains
• Skin rash
• A cough that produces blood, or thick mucus which is coloured
• Neck stiffness
• Earache
• Thick white or yellow spots at the back of the throat
• If the cold lasts for more than two weeks.

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Who should have a flu vaccine?
Some people who are considered to be at risk of developing complications ought to get a flu vaccination every year. These include the elderly, people who have lung disease (bronchitis, asthma, emphysema), heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, whose immune systems have been weakened by disease or treatment and people who live in nursing, residential or long-stay homes.

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What about the new anti-viral drugs for flu?
The new anti-viral drugs for flu can help ease symptoms and shorten the duration of the illness. They need to be taken within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms. Ask your GP for more information on their availability. They are most appropriate for those in vulnerable groups (the elderly, people who have lung disease, heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, whose immune systems have been weakened by disease or treatment and people who live in nursing, residential or long-stay homes).

Cold truths - not to be sneezed at

• One sneeze propels up to 100,000 bacteria into the air at about 200mph (320km/h).
• Sneezing whilst driving a car will mean that you are driving blind for 100 to 300 feet.
• After only 30 seconds' use, a handkerchief has been found to contain 15,000 germs.
• Biologists believe that athletes have more colds than most people. This may be due to the undermining effect of competing on their immunity.
• Body-builders are believed to be even more prone to colds. Their energy reserves go towards enlarging their muscles rather than defending the body against infection.
• Although smokers suffer colds no more frequently than other people, they may find that their symptoms last longer.
• Animals can catch colds too. Some of the species which may suffer include chimpanzees, gorillas, gibbons, orang-utans, horses, young cattle and cats.
• The handkerchief originated in China. French sailors returned from their travels in the 15th century, wearing couvrechefs on their heads. These were later carried as a fashion accessory and became known as handkerchiefs.
• In 1919 it was an offence to sneeze in public in the USA. People with flu, colds and hayfever were all locked up if they broke the law. The law was brought into effect to keep victms of the influenza epidemic off the streets. The epidemic evenually killed 20 million people.
• A couple once spent their honeymoon in the Cold Research Centre in Wiltshire, being exposed to cold viruses. They didn't catch a cold for the entire ten-day stay.

© Consumer Health Information Centre

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