It’s not the usual symptoms
Anyone who says ‘it’s just a cold’ is forgetting exactly how miserable the virus can be: Runny nose, sore throat, headaches, fatigue, sneezes—and those are just a few of the nasty symptoms, explains Mylynda Massart, MD, PhD, a family medicine physician at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Every year, one billion colds strike people in the United States—which means some of us are getting three to four a year; and some of those colds can actually be something worse.
Your whole body aches
Figuring out the difference between a cold and the flu is tricky. A cold hangs out in your head or chest, says Renee Miranda, MD, family medicine doctor at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. If your symptoms include whole body aches and pains, it may be the flu.
