As the flu season reaches its peak and widespread nationwide infections continue to afflict people of all ages, it can sometimes be difficult to know the exact markers that separate common colds, the flu, and pneumonia. Given that the illnesses share several symptoms, the nature of someone's ailment can often be gauged instead by the severity of its effects.
Often times, the common cold causes runny or stuffy nose, body aches, tiredness, mild fever, and rarely necessitates hospitalizations. Flu patients experience more intense fevers, severe lethargy, and generally a greater discomfort caused by body aches.
Flu symptoms also include sore throat, headaches, and potentially diarrhea and vomiting. Infants will often experience poor circulation, lethargy, swollen glands, and a lack of appetite. The flu is contagious and can be spread through communal surfaces or objects, coughing, sneezing, or talking nearby others. Once infected, most people have the ability to sicken others between five and seven days after symptoms become apparent. The illness can also be transferred up to one day before any effects are felt. However, the CDC clarifies that "young children and people with weakened immune systems might be able to infect others for an even longer time."
Pneumonia can be caused by the cold or flu, and often cause chills, fever, chest pain, intense abdominal pain, nausea, muscle aches, vomiting, shortness of breath, excessive phlegm, and dry cough. The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that emergency symptoms include bloody phlegm, high fever, bluish-toned skin, heavy breathing, confusion, weight loss, and rapid heart rate.
In cases where you are unsure which illness you are suffering from, make sure to contact a local health professional to undergo a series of special tests, urges the CDC.