We’re right in the middle of cold and flu season. Are you taking steps to protect your family this year?

Our team at AFC Urgent Care Sevierville wants to share some insight about the common cold and how to tell the difference between a cold and the flu.

What Causes a Common Cold?

Just like the flu, the common cold is a virus. Because it’s viral in nature, it cannot be effectively treated using an antibiotic.

A common cold is quite contagious, as it is spread through droplets in the air—most often when a person coughs, sneezes or even talks! That’s why it’s important to wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face with your hands.

Symptoms of a Common Cold

• Runny nose
• Stuffy nose
• Cough
• Congestion
• Slight body aches
• Mild headache
• Low-grade fever
• Malaise
• Sneezing

What Is the Difference Between a Cold and the Flu?

While the symptoms of a common cold and the flu can be quite similar, cold symptoms tend to be milder than the flu. For instance, the flu usually has you running a fever around 100.4 and higher, while the common cold can cause a low-grade fever or no fever at all.

In addition, people with colds tend to have a runny or stuffy nose as the main complaint, while people with the flu can have a runny/stuffy nose but also a fever, the chills and body aches.

Treatment for a Common Cold

• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Use saline nasal drops.
• Eat chicken soup.
• Sip warm liquids.
• Add moisture to the air.
• Relieve pain and fever with OTC meds.

Is it a cold or the flu? Visit our medical team at AFC Urgent Care Sevierville for a diagnosis and treatment plan as soon as possible! We are open seven days a week.