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Dear Jane:
Definitions, definitions...when you're sick and aching all over you want to head straight for a
doctor, not a dictionary! But there are very important differences between the flu and common cold,
so take note! Having a cold usually means having a stuffy nose and sore throat, along with a
mild-to-moderately uncomfortable feeling in your chest. You'll probably be sneezing, coughing, and
feeling a bit achy, too.
The flu, on the other hand, can mean really bad news. Yes, the flu makes you sneeze. It can
also give you a stuffy nose and sore throat. But unlike a common cold, it'll often give you a big
headache, a hacking cough, a 3-to-4-day-long fever, and muscle aches all over. The flu can also
make you feel nauseous, depressed, and really exhausted. And things can get even worse if this all
leads to pneumonia, a dangerous complication. But thankfully there is a vaccine against the flu.
(Unlike the common cold, which modern medicine still doesn't have a cure for!) A flu shot will
reduce your chances of getting the disease by 60-80%. Check with your doctor to find out the time
frame of when flu shots are given out.
More good news: when it comes to relieving symptoms, the flu and common cold have much in
common. In both cases, you should drink plenty of water, juice, and other fluids to replenish the
supply of moisture to your nose and throat; after all, you'll need a steady flow of secretions to
help flush away viruses from your body. (So don't forget your grandma's age-old cure, chicken
soup!) And get plenty of rest--you'll nurture your immune system so it'll be back in fine form to
fight harder for you.
Signed,
Wendell
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