Flu/Colds

 
 
     
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DIAGNOSIS

Many people confuse the terms "cold" and "flu" because the illnesses share some of the same features. Both are caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract, mainly in the winter season, and both can cause symptoms such as coughing and sore throat.

Unlike flu, colds typically don't cause fever. A cold is a minor viral infection of the nose and throat and can occur in any season. More than 200 different viruses are known to cause the symptoms of the common cold. Rhinoviruses, for example (over 110 distinct varieties), seldom produce serious illnesses and cause an estimated 30 to 35 percent of all adult colds. They are most active in early fall, spring and summer.

Coronaviruses are believed to cause a large percentage of all adult colds. They induce colds primarily in the winter and early spring. Of the more than 30 isolated strains, several infect humans.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is a potentially deadly respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus. It has recently been reported in Asia, North America and Europe. SARS may be spread by touching the skin of other people or objects that are contaminated with infectious droplets and then touching your eye(s), nose or mouth. It also is possible that SARS can be spread through the air or in other ways that are currently not known.

Unlike the common cold, SARS symptoms generally begin with a fever greater than 100.4°F. Other symptoms may include headache, an overall feeling of discomfort and body aches. Some people also experience mild respiratory symptoms. After two to seven days, SARS patients may develop a dry cough and have trouble breathing.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), initial diagnostic testing for suspected SARS patients should include chest radiograph, pulse oximetry, blood cultures, sputum Gram's stain and culture, and testing for viral respiratory pathogens, notably influenza A and B and respiratory syncytial virus.

As of March 2003, the CDC offered no specific treatment recommendations. SARS patients in the United States are being isolated until they are no longer infectious. This practice allows patients to receive appropriate care, and it contains the potential spread of the illness. Those who are more severely ill are being cared for in hospitals. Those whose illness is mild are being cared for at home and have been asked to avoid contact with other people. They are advised to remain at home until 10 days after the resolution of fever, provided respiratory symptoms are absent or improving.

Ten to 15 percent of adult colds are caused by viruses also responsible for other, more severe illnesses: adenoviruses, coxsackieviruses, echoviruses, orthomyxoviruses (including influenza A and B viruses), paramyxoviruses (including several parainfluenza viruses), respiratory syncytial virus and enteroviruses.

The causes of 30 to 50 percent of adult colds, presumed to be of viral origin, haven't yet been identified.

The flu causes muscle and joint pain, high fever, chills, fatigue and weakness that usually send the afflicted straight to bed for three to five days or longer. Afterwards, cough and tiredness may persist for days or even weeks. Other symptoms include headache, eye pain, and sometimes a stuffy nose and sore throat. Upset stomach, vomiting or diarrhea are rarely major features of the flu. While there is such a thing as a "stomach flu," it is not caused by the influenza virus. Most people with stomach flu are infected with one of the many gastroenteritis viruses that cause temporary nausea and vomiting.

If you've been in contact with someone who has the flu and you begin to experience these symptoms, chances are you have caught the flu. Only your health care professional can diagnose your symptoms accurately, so it's important to call for an appointment as soon as your symptoms develop -- and they do come on suddenly in just a few hours, once you've been exposed to the virus.

Getting medical attention and an accurate diagnosis quickly are your best bet for getting back on your feet as soon as possible. Therefore, to be effective, the new antiviral medications for flu must be taken within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.

During flu season, health care professionals monitor influenza activity in your area through the CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) surveillance network, which is available on the World Wide Web and through printed publications mailed to medical offices. These updates can help your health care team diagnose flu symptoms. In addition, your health care professional will evaluate your symptoms to rule out other illnesses, like a cold (a viral infection with similar symptoms).

Flu often proceeds into acute bronchitis -- an inflammation of the bronchi, the air passages or tubes to the lungs -- not of the lung tissue itself.

Bronchitis has the following symptoms:

* a slight fever, 100 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit

* an irritating, dry, painful cough that starts to produce thick, yellow sputum after two or three days; at this stage the fever often recedes, and the pain from coughing diminishes

Even after the condition improves, a slight cough commonly remains for another week or two. Most cases of acute bronchitis simply represent continued inflammation from viral infection, rather than a bacterial complication. Many people benefit from short-term use of an inhaled bronchodilator. Antibiotics are generally not recommended in otherwise healthy adults with acute bronchitis, regardless of the duration of cough. But if you have a cough for three weeks or more, you should be carefully evaluated to rule out the possibility of pneumonia.

Pneumonia symptoms typically appear after you start feeling like you're recovering from the flu. A brief period of improvement followed by the sudden onset of these symptoms may indicate you've developed pneumonia:

* high fever

* shaking chills

* chest pain with each breath

* a continuous hacking cough that produces thick, yellow-greenish-colored phlegm, or sputum, or sputum with blood in it

* extreme weakness and fatigue

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Written by: Editorial Staff of the National Women's Health Resource Center
Reviewed on: Fri Jun 13 2003
Created on: Wed Mar 01 2000
 
 
 
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