From late September through March, cold and flu season can hit with a vengeance. The creeping crud starts to spread it’s way around the office or work site. People start coughing, blowing noses and bedding down with feverish sweats. Employees call in sick, doctor’s offices are flooded, the misery spreads. The question comes to mind; “Why am I sick and how can I get better?”

Is it the Flu? Or just a bad cold?
The “flu” is caused by the human influenza virus while the “common cold” may be caused by any number of less nasty, “flu like” viruses. Coughing, fever and body aches may be experienced with both the flu and a bad cold. On the other hand, colds are more likely to cause a runny nose and sinus pressure. However you add it up, the flu is usually a more severe illness. If my patient says “I feel like I was hit by a truck,” they likely have influenza. As a matter of fact, I rarely see patients in the office (at least early on) with influenza. As a rule, they are too sick to come in and are stuck at home in bed. Usually on day three or four they will gather up enough strength to venture out to seek help. The bottom line: A cold is a nuisance, the flu is horrible.

“Fix me doc!”
There is no cure for the cold. If you have little to no fever, a sore throat, sinus pressure and a dry cough you likely have a common cold (caused by a virus) and no antibiotic in the world will fix this. In addition, if a doctor DOES prescribe an antibiotic for a cold, you are more likely to get sicker; with diarrhea, upset stomach, or other adverse effects of the drug itself. The over-prescription of inappropriate antibiotics is directly linked to the rise of “super bacteria” that are causing serious health problems in the community; such as Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus or MRSA- a bad skin infection that has plagued our urgent care clinic lately. There are plenty of good medicines to make you feel better with a cold, but nothing to cure it. The bottom line: don’t pressure your doctor to give you an antibiotic for a simple cold.

“How about fixing the flu?”
While there is no cure for a cold, there are medicines that can help get rid of the flu. Anti-influenza medication such as Flumadine and Tamiflu can reduce the number and severity of sick days if given within the first day or so of the illness. The problem is (as stated above) when influenza hits, you often feel too sick to even come to the doctor. It’s ironic that patients will rush to the doctor with an incurable cold but will avoid getting help with a potentially treatable influenza. The bottom line: if you have mild cold symptoms, there probably isn’t much the doctor can do. But- if you have severe flu symptoms, see a doctor ASAP.

“How do I keep from getting sick during flu season?”
First and foremost, get a flu shot. If your employer offers influenza vaccination, unless you are allergic to eggs, there is no reason not to get one. Early in the flu season, flu shots are recommended for the elderly and chronically sick. However, by October 24th of this year, flu shots will be available for everyone. Also, another way to prevent both colds and the flu is to wash your hands often, avoid touching your nose, eyes and mouth, and- in general- take good care of yourself; eat well, exercise and get plenty of sleep. The bottom line: Get a flu shot!

“But can’t the flu shot give you the flu?”
The flu shot may give you a sore arm and some slight chills and aches for a day or so, but not influenza. Keep in mind, flu shots are given at the start of cold season. It is possible to catch a bad cold about the same time as your flu shot. The bottom line: Flu shots don’t make you sick.

“What about “Bird flu?”
The “Bird Flu” or Avian Influenza is a potentially devastating illness that is currently showing up in sporadic outbreaks in SE Asia. The threat is that this virus, which normally only infects poultry, may soon mutate or “shift” into a potentially lethal human “super flu” causing a worldwide epidemic, or pandemic. Scientists state the we are well overdue for a pandemic of similar proportion to the pandemic of 1918-19 that killed millions worldwide with a similar type of “Bird Flu.” The current flu vaccine is no protection against a new “super flu” and it would take months to develop a new one. There is speculation that antiviral drugs such as Tamflu may temper any potential outbreak, but the cost and logistics of dispensing this drug to millions of needy people is problematic to say the least. The bottom line: A new “Bird Flu” pandemic would be frightening. For more information, see my Bird Flu page.

Links: CDC Influenza Page