How does the duration differ? | What is the difference between a cold and a flu?

How does the duration differ?

A cold and a flu have a different course of the disease and accordingly the duration of the illness is different. The duration of a cold depends on the type of pathogen, the severity of the infection and the immune system of the person affected. Normally, a common cold lasts about a week, but most patients are cured after nine days at the latest.

If the symptoms have not improved after one week, a doctor should be consulted to rule out flu. Colds are caused by viruses in over 90% of cases, so treatment with antibiotics is not recommended. However, the doctor can prescribe medication for the symptoms, which will speed up the healing process and shorten the duration of the cold.

Influenza often has a more severe course and therefore lasts much longer than a cold. In the case of a real flu, you can expect to be ill for seven to 14 days. It can often take several weeks until the patient has fully recovered.

Especially older and weakened persons need a very long time to recover from a severe flu. Complications in the course of the disease can include pneumonia, heart muscle inflammation and inflammation of the brain. In addition, the weakened immune system can lead to an additional infection with bacteria, which is then called “superinfection“. These additional illnesses can considerably prolong the duration of the flu and even lead to death.

You can tell from these symptoms whether you have a flu or a cold

The symptoms of flu and cold can be very similar. Many people are initially unsure whether they have the flu or just a common cold. Whether you have the flu can be determined by the following symptoms: the symptoms appear suddenly within a few hours and are usually accompanied by a very high fever.

Those affected feel “as if they were exhausted”, completely exhausted and permanently tired. In the case of a flu-like illness, severe, severe sore throat, severe difficulty swallowing and dry coughing occur right at the beginning. Other symptoms are severe headaches and pronounced pain in the limbs and muscles.

A cold can be recognized by the fact that it starts slowly and insidiously. The initial symptoms, in most cases a sore throat and difficulty swallowing, are gradually joined by other symptoms such as coughing and rhinitis. Headaches are often caused by a blocked nose and swollen sinuses, but they are relatively mild compared to the headaches associated with influenza. Pain in the limbs also occurs sometimes, but is less severe than with flu.