FLU Season Coming Soon!
What you need to Know…
URI vs. INFLUENZA
It’s that time of year again, viral illnesses abound. The two most common viral illness that people seek medical
treatment for are URIs (AKA “a cold”) and Influenza (AKA “the flu”). There are many similarities and differences
between the two conditions.
Both conditions are viral in nature, which means that antibiotics are ineffective against them. URIs are more
common than Influenza.
URI
– mild / low grade fevers (100.4 – 101.5)
– sore throat mild discomfort while swallowing
– congestion
– dry cough
– mild / low grade fevers (100.4 – 101.5)
– sore throat mild discomfort while swallowing
– congestion
– dry cough
Influenza
– moderate/ high fevers (101.5 and above)
– moderate/ high fevers (101.5 and above)
– sore throat with significant discomfort while swallowing
– congestion
– body aches and significant fatigue
– dry cough
– congestion
– body aches and significant fatigue
– dry cough
– abrupt onset
– nausea and vomiting (these are not with every case but are still common)
– nausea and vomiting (these are not with every case but are still common)
Treatment:
URI: comfort measures with medications such as Tylenol and Ibuprofen to help with fevers and sore throat, and
cough medications to help with coughing.
Influenza: comfort measures are given, fever control with Tylenol or ibuprofen, anti-nausea medications and Tamiflu (an anti-viral prescribed medication that only works for influenza). Tamiflu must be begun within the first 48 hours of symptom onset in order to be effective. The medication can be taken by anyone as long as they are not allergic to the ingredients. The major side effect of this medication is nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Tamiflu is not a cure but decreases the severity and duration of the illness.
*Both conditions can have lingering symptoms for up to 4-6 weeks from symptom onset. The most common being a
cough.
*Infants, children under the age of 2, immunocompromised patients (i.e. HIV positive, taking immune suppressive medications), elderly (those 65 years and older) or pregnant women, need to be properly evaluated by a medical provider to ensure proper care and treatment.
