What are the symptoms of cold?

Many people often confuse the flu with the common cold and with good reasons. Both of these cause similar symptoms, such as congestion of the nasal passages, runny noses, coughing, and itchiness in the throat and the eyes, weakness and, in a few cases, fatigue. As a result, many people want to know the differences between the common cold and the flu so that they do not need to visit their doctors the next time they catch either of these diseases.

Usually, a person can easily tell the difference by observing the symptoms closely; the more severe and rapid the symptoms are, the more likely it is that they are to be caused by flu. In addition, the flu causes fever – which is higher and more persistent than that caused by common cold. Unlike common cold, the flu causes extreme fatigue. And the affected person may even require to be hospitalized.

On the other hand, the common cold causes blocked or runny nose and sore throat – symptoms which are usually absent in flu cases. Usually, the symptoms associated with common cold – though much less serious - last longer than those caused by flu. However, the former condition rarely causes any grave harm to the body.