I’m a pharmacist – here’s how to tell if you have a cold or the flu

Sometimes half the battle of getting sick is knowing how to treat the symptoms properly, but it’s often hard to pinpoint what you have. 

A common cold and the flu share many symptoms, but as the flu can sometimes escalate into something far more serious, noticing key differences could be crucial in managing symptoms, according to a leading pharmacist.

Nutritional therapist and pharmacist at Practice With Confidence, Deborah Grayson, shared how to tell the two apart.  

She noted that at first, cold symptoms often develop gradually over a few days and are quite mild, while the onset of flu typically can appear in as little as a few hours.

For a cold, daily activities should still be manageable, while the first few days of flu will make you feel so unwell that normal activities are not possible.

Another key difference is that the cold has nasal symptoms such as a runny or blocked nose and sneezing, and the first symptom is likely to be a sore throat, while all of these are less likely with the flu.

Severe, dry and persistent coughs are instead common with the flu, as well as body aches and chills.

While a mild increase in temperature is normal for a cold, a flu could cause the body to reach 38 degrees or more. 

Fatigue is another indicator. Whilst slight fatigue is normal with a cold, with the flu it is much more extreme and can last for weeks after the other symptoms have gone away. 

For children, Grayson told Express: “Flu symptoms will sometimes include stomach issues including nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea. These symptoms are rarely seen with a cold.”

She notes that the best way to treat viruses is to rest and drink lots of fluid, and that while decongestants or pain relief may ease symptoms for a few hours, they won’t impact how long the symptoms remain. 

Grayson advises: “Especially during the winter period, seeing your pharmacist can reduce the strain on GP practices and as a result reduce the pressure on A&E services too.

“In fact, more than 18 million GP appointments in the UK each year could be avoided by consulting a pharmacist, according to NHS England.

“If you have severe symptoms including pain and difficulty breathing you will need to see your GP or pharmacist especially if you have underlying health issues such as asthma, diabetes or a weakened immune system.”