As I enter my third day of being truly and awfully sick it came to mind that I wasn’t sure if this was just a bad cold or the flu, so I did what any like-minded person would do: I searched the web.
WebMD’s guide compares the symptoms of each and the results are inconclusive:
| Symptoms | Cold | Flu |
| Fever | Rare | Characteristic, high (100-102 degrees F); lasts three to four days |
| Headache | Rare | Prominent |
| General Aches, Pains | Slight | Usual; often severe |
| Fatigue, Weakness | Quite mild | Can last up to two to three weeks |
| Extreme Exhaustion | Never | Early and prominent |
| Stuffy Nose | Common | Sometimes |
| Sneezing | Usual | Sometimes |
| Sore Throat | Common | Sometimes |
| Chest Discomfort, Cough |
Mild to moderate; hacking cough |
Common; can become severe |
| Complications | Sinus congestion or earache |
Bronchitis, pneumonia; can be life-threatening |
| Prevention | Good hygiene | Annual flu shot or FluMist |
| Treatment | Only temporary relief of symptoms |
Antiviral drugs (Tamiflu or or Relenza) within 24-48 hours of onset |
I haven’t had a fever, though I have had periods of feeling too warm/too cold. I have had an on/off headache (a bit of one right now, in fact) and weakness…well, let’s say the idea of replicating Saturday’s 20 km walk is not exactly a tantalizing prospect at the moment. The only things I have to treat the symptoms right now are Nyquil and sodium-encrusted noodle soup. I’ll take what I can get.
The problem with doing the thing I most want to — lay down and doze — is that my sinuses are so clogged up that reclining makes it nearly impossible to breathe. Perhaps a nice warm bath would help. Or some miracle pill invented by science.
Get to work, scientists! And deliver direct to door, please.
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