If you’ve ever been ill, you undoubtedly have found yourself trying to figure out whether you have a cold or the flu. We get asked this a lot in the clinic, so this edition of Walking Along the Natural Path Newsletter will give you some common ways to determine whether you are dealing with a common cold or the flu, as well as show you what you can do about it.
Telling the Difference
Use the tablet below to determine if the symptoms you are feeling are signs of having a cold or the flu:
|
Symptoms |
Cold |
Flu |
| Fever | Rare | Characteristic, high (100-102°F); lasts 3-4 days |
| Headache | Rare | Prominent |
| General Aches, Pains | Slight | Usual; often severe |
| Fatigue, Weakness | Quite mild | Can last up to 2-3 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 | See Ways to Prevent Colds/Flus | See Ways to Prevent Colds/Flus |
| Management | See Ways to Combat Colds/Flus | See Ways to Combat Colds/Flus |
SOURCE: The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, September 2005. The CDC: “Antiviral Drugs and the Flu,” Oct. 22, 2005.
What to do about it
If you have a cold:
Immune Support– 1 tablet three times daily with meals
Andrographis Plus – 2 tablets every 2 hours for 12 hours with unchilled water; then 1 tablet 3 times daily between meals for 5 days
If you have the flu:
Viracid – 2 capsules every 2 hours for 12 hours, then 2 capsules 3 times daily until better
Probiotic Complete – 1 capsule twice daily on an empty stomach
Prevention (i.e., take these everyday to help improve immunity and prevent illness)
Research has consistently shown the vitamin D and vitamin C play a large role in our immune health. Once more, research also shows that it is very likely that most of us are deficient in both. Here are some simple and inexpensive steps that you can take to help improve your immune function and increase your chances of getting sick in the first place.
Micellized D3 – 1 drop (1200 IU) 1-2x/day with meals
Vitamin C 1000 Complex – 2-3 tablets 3x/day with food OR C Aspa Scorb – 1 tsp twice daily with meals.
Be Prepared!
You don’t want to wait until you are feeling poorly to be thinking about what you have or what you need to do. Be prepared and have these products on hand in your medicine cabinet, because research shows that the quicker you act to improve your immune function, the more likely you are to decrease the intensity, duration and frequency of illness.
Nobody likes to be ill, but if you are going to catch a bug or a virus, giving your immune system everything it needs to identify and eliminate the offending agent as quickly as possible will get you up and running again in no-time.
Yours in Health along the Natural Path,
Chad Oler, ND