Monday, November 9, 2009

H1N1 or Cold?

Two days ago I woke up with a sore throat, I was more tired than usual and I have a dry cough. My roommate told me go to the doctor to check for H1N1 but I'm not too concerned because to me these are regular cold symptoms. But then I thought what are the different symptoms in a cold and H1N1. For those of you who also wonder read this:

Fever
  • Fever is rare with a cold.
  • Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the H1N1 flu.
Coughing
  • A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold.
  • A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the H1N1 flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough).
Aches
  • Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold.
  • Severe aches and pains are common with the H1N1 flu.
Stuffy Nose
  • Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.
  • Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the H1N1 flu.
Chills
  • Chills are uncommon with a cold.
  • 60% of people who have the H1N1 flu experience chills.
Tiredness
  • Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold.
  • Tiredness is moderate to severe with the H1N1 flu.
Sneezing
  • Sneezing is commonly present with a cold.
  • Sneezing is not common with the H1N1 flu.
Sudden Symptoms
  • Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days
  • The H1N1 flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains.
Headache
  • A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold.
  • A headache is very common with the H1N1 flu, present in 80% of flu cases.
Sore Throat
  • Sore throat is commonly present with a cold.
  • Sore throat is not commonly present with the H1N1 flu.
Chest Discomfort
  • Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.
  • Chest discomfort is often severe with the H1N1 flu
So who votes that I have a cold?

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