How do I know if I have a cold or the flu? What are the differences?

Check out the symptoms below to see if you might have a cold or the flu.

Symptoms	Cold	Flu
Fever	Rare	High (100-102 degrees for 3-4 days)
Headache	Rare	Common
General Aches & Pains	Slight	Usual and often severe
Fatigue, Weakness	Sometimes	Usual, can last up to 3 weeks
Exhaustion	Never	Usual in the beginning
Stuffy Nose	Common	Sometimes
Sneezing	Usual	Sometimes
Sore Throat	Common	Sometimes
Cough	Mild to Moderate Hacking Cough	Common, can be severe
Complications	Sinus congestion Middle Ear Infection Asthma	Bronchitis Pneumonia Worsened chronic conditions

Last Reviewed: 09/09/2011

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