Is It a Cold, the Flu, or a Sinus Infection? How to Tell and When to Seek Help
As the Arizona winter sets in, so do the seasonal sniffles. While the temperatures stay mild, this time of year still brings an uptick in colds, flu, and sinus infections.
Cold, flu, and sinus infections often share common symptoms so it’s no surprise that people often mistake one for the other. Learning how to differentiate between these three common conditions is crucial to finding the key to symptom relief, allowing patients to breathe freely again.
The Cold
The common cold is a common respiratory illness. About 200 viruses can cause a common cold. Common cold symptoms include:
- Stuffy nose or runny nose
- Sore throat
- Sneezing
- Watery eyes
- Cough
- Headache
- Fatigue
The common cold is also contagious during the first few days of the infection. Compared to other infections like the flu, symptoms from the common cold are less severe. Children are more susceptible to developing a fever with the cold but adults can still develop a slight fever.
Cold symptoms usually last for about a week before patients find some relief. Patients should fully recover within 7 to 10 days.
Over-the-counter medications can help alleviate cold symptoms like headache, fatigue, and congestion. The best treatment for the cold virus is plenty of sleep and plenty of fluids to help the body recover.
When there is no improvement in your condition even after a week of rest, you might want to consider visiting your physician to see if what you thought was the common cold was actually a different infection.
The Flu
The flu can share many common symptoms with the common cold, which is why learning how the two are different is important.
The flu is a more serious condition than the common cold. Influenza, also known as the flu, is a contagious infection caused by a virus. It affects the respiratory system and if severe symptoms are left untreated, it can lead to serious health complications and even death – especially in vulnerable people like children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
Common flu symptoms include:
- Body chills
- High fever lasting for several days
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Body aches
- Cough
- Runny nose or stuffy nose
Common cold symptoms will usually come gradually but flu symptoms will hit patients quickly and with more intensity. The flu lasts for 1 to 2 weeks.
When you think you’ve caught the flu, it would be in your best interest to see your physician immediately. The right medication and treatment can reduce the severity of the symptoms and lessen the duration of the infection.
Sinus Infection
A sinus infection – also known as sinusitis – is the inflammation and infection of the sinus and nasal cavities. It’s a prevalent condition and affects millions of Americans yearly. Though it’s not always the case and one can develop a sinus infection on its own, it can develop from a common cold or allergies.
A sinus infection develops when there is inflammation in the nasal cavities. This inflammation prevents mucus from properly draining, causing a buildup. This becomes the perfect breeding ground for viruses or bacteria to cause an infection.
Common sinus infection symptoms include:
- Stuffy nose
- Facial pain and pressure
- Postnasal drip
- Headache
- Toothache
- Pain in the ears
- Thick yellow or green nasal discharge
- Fever
- Cough
- Fatigue
- Reduced sense of sense of taste or smell
- Bad breath
If you've never had a sinus infection before, it can easily be mistaken for a common cold or allergies. If you're unsure, it's a good idea to see your physician for an accurate diagnosis.
Acute sinus infections go away on their own within 10 days, with rest as the best treatment. Some people can develop chronic sinusitis instead. This is a long-term infection lasting for longer than 12 weeks. Medications, decongestants, and even antibiotics might help provide symptom relief. If all else fails, surgical procedures like balloon sinuplasty might be recommended.
Know When to Seek Help: Contact Arizona Breathe Free Today
If your cold, flu, or sinusitis symptoms are lasting longer than usual, even with medication, it would be in your best interest to seek immediate medical attention. At Arizona Breathe Free, we are committed to providing our patients with long-awaited relief from sinus conditions and the pain that comes along with their symptoms.
Schedule an appointment today and find out how we can help!