Fever, cough, runny nose, or headache are common symptoms of the flu, but other illnesses such as pneumonia, bronchitis, or meningitis can also have similar symptoms.
The flu is so contagious that whenever we cough, have muscle aches, or have a fever, we think of it as a sign of the flu. It’s understandable because there are so many diseases that have flu-like symptoms, such as fever, cough, runny nose and headache, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Cindy Weston, assistant professor at Texas A&M School of Nursing, explains: “Any serious infection that stimulates our immune system can produce some of the same symptoms.”
In other words, “Most flu is like the common cold,” Joseph Habaza, a pulmonologist at the Cleveland Clinic, tells Health. In addition, the flu vaccine helps reduce the severity of symptoms in people who have been vaccinated.
According to the CDC, the only way to know for sure if you have the flu is to get tested, but sometimes there are subtle signs that can help distinguish the flu from several other illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the test might also help differentiate between the flu and COVID-19.
Here are a few of the many conditions that can cause flu-like symptoms but not the flu.
◆ cold
Both colds and flu are diseases caused by viruses. They all tend to occur in the same season and have many symptoms such as sore throat and stuffy nose.
According to the CDC, the main difference is how quickly symptoms develop. Kerry Peterson, a physician at Lennox Hill Hospital in New York City, said: [수일]”It progresses gradually over the course of the day, with individual symptoms,” he says. “The flu is characterized by fever, cough, muscle aches, and severe coma within 24-48 hours.”
Dr. Peterson added that although there are many overlapping symptoms, the common cold is not accompanied by chest pain or body aches. These are typical symptoms of the flu.
◆ Streptococcus sore throat
The flu and sore throat share many of the same symptoms, but there are two things you can experience with the flu but not with a sore throat: cough and stuffy nose.
According to the CDC, strep throat can cause swelling of lymph nodes (a bean-shaped structure and part of the immune system), tonsils (a mass of soft tissue in the back of the neck), small red dots on the roof of the mouth, or white spots on the tonsils.
If you suspect you have streptococci, they will swab your throat and test for bacteria. According to the CDC, if a test is positive, antibiotics will be given to quickly relieve symptoms.
◆ pneumonia
According to the American Lung Association, pneumonia can only occur in the flu or can be a secondary complication of the disease. It may appear that you have the flu, but you may become infected. “People are getting the flu and maybe it will get better,” Weston said. But a week later he contracted pneumonia.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pneumonia with or following the flu can be caused by the flu virus itself or by co-infection with influenza viruses and bacteria. Bacterial pneumonia is very serious and can be treated with antibiotics.
This type of pneumonia is “a cough that is very persistent and does not go away and is often accompanied by chest pain. The fever may be mild or high. Sometimes there is no appetite and the body may ache.” Weston said. A cough caused by pneumonia also contains mucus.
Viral pneumonia is usually milder than bacterial pneumonia. You may also feel stuffy, cough, or tired.
◆ Mononucleosis
Mononucleosis is also known as “kissing disease” because it can be transmitted through saliva (coughing, sneezing and sharing dishes).
According to the CDC, the disease is usually caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, which tends to occur more in teens and young adults than in other age groups.
Symptoms usually appear slowly and can resemble flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, high fever, sore throat, or body aches. However, other symptoms that may help distinguish mononucleosis from the flu include swelling of the liver or spleen.
According to UpdateToday, the disease lasts two to four weeks longer than the common flu, but sometimes months longer.
◆ meningitis
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membrane (meninges) that covers the brain and spinal cord.
Like pneumonia, meningitis can be caused by a viral or bacterial infection, according to the CDC. Viral meningitis is usually more common and mild, but both symptoms are similar and closely resemble the flu, including headaches, fever, and fatigue.
Meningitis is also accompanied by neck stiffness and sensitivity to light. Viral meningitis is the same as the common cold or flu, and most people get better on their own in regarding a week.
However, according to the CDC, bacterial meningitis can cause brain damage and even death if not treated promptly with antibiotics.
◆ Bronchitis
Acute bronchitis is not only caused by cold or flu-like symptoms, but is even caused by many of the same viruses.
“Bronchiolitis causes a persistent cough, lethargy, and sore throat,” says Dr. Peterson. The main difference is that bronchitis is not accompanied by high fever.”
Dr Peterson adds that symptoms of bronchitis also tend to focus on the chest and throat rather than flu-like body aches. A persistent cough from one symptom of acute bronchitis can last up to three weeks, longer than a cough from the flu, according to the National Institute of Heart, Lung, and Blood.
Because there is no test for bronchitis like the flu, health care institutions usually make a diagnosis by asking and examining your symptoms. Treatment of bronchitis involves resting, drinking plenty of fluids, and taking medications to relieve symptoms.
Bronchitis symptoms tend to focus on the chest and throat rather than the body aches and pains caused by the flu.
◆ Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
Respiratory cell viruses have symptoms that can be mistaken for the flu (or cold). “RSV can cause a runny nose and cough.” said Afif El Hassan, a spokesperson for the American Lung Association and pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente, an American non-profit health care program.
However, unlike the flu, RSV symptoms usually appear slowly. They also usually disappear on their own with enough water and rest.
According to the CDC, similar symptoms occur when infected with a virus known as the human parainfluenza virus. “It’s similar to the flu, but it’s not that serious,” says Dr. El-Hassan.
◆ HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)(It is a virus that lives in the human body and destroys the immune function of the human body and causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. T cellsIt finds and proliferates in those cells and destroys immune cells. In addition, it continuously destroys human immune cells and lowers human immunity, which eventually leads to death.)
According to the CDC, most people show flu-like symptoms regarding two to four weeks following they become infected with the HIV virus. These may include fever, chills, rash, night sweats, or muscle aches. Symptoms can last for days or weeks.
There are many other reasons you may experience flu-like symptoms, but it’s important to get tested if you think you may have been exposed to HIV. The CDC also recommends that all individuals between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at some point.