What is the difference between pneumonia and the flu?

Answer 1

When your head is pounding, your nose is stuffed up, and you can't stop coughing and sneezing, you might not care what you have - you just want relief. But a cold, flu, or pneumonia can all cause those symptoms.

To find out how to get the relief you need, you need to know exactly what kind of bug you're dealing with.

Common Cold Symptoms

The common cold is a simple illness that isn't typically a serious infection. It's little more than a nuisance - unless, of course, you're the one with the cold symptoms.

"Colds are caused by viruses, and the most common virus that causes the cold is rhinovirus," says Aaron M. Milstone, MD, assistant professor of pediatric Infectious Diseases at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore.

While a common cold is no fun to deal with, it is not as dangerous as the influenza virus, which can spread to other people more quickly, and even kill, adds Dr. Milstone. There are also far fewer hospitalizations associated with the common cold than with the flu, he adds.

The symptoms of the common cold often include:

• Coughing and a sore throat
• Stuffy or runny nose and sneezing
• Eyes that water
• Some muscle aches and headaches
• Low or no fever

Generally, says Milstone, people feel bad and a little run-down for a couple of days, then start to perk up as the cold runs its course.

A good way to tell whether it's the common cold or the flu is by how quickly the symptoms appear. Symptoms of the common cold take their time; flu symptoms, on the other hand, hit fast.

Flu Symptoms

While the flu is also caused by a virus, it's a whole different kind of illness. Cold symptoms are relatively mild, whereas the flu causes much more severe symptoms.

"Influenza can really wipe out even a healthy person," says Milstone.

There is a vaccine to prevent, and medication to treat, certain strains of the flu. Treatment reduces how long you experience flu symptoms.

Flu symptoms often include:

• Feeling nauseated
• Extreme fatigue with body and muscle aches
• Headaches
• No appetite
• High fever - over 102 degrees F
• Chills and sweats
• Stuffy nose and cough

Pneumonia Symptoms

Pneumonia is typically caused by a bacterial infection, although there are types of viral pneumonia. Bacterial pneumonia is very treatable with antibiotics - if you get a diagnosis and start treatment.

But pneumonia demands respect.

Pneumonia can be a serious problem for people at high risk for the disease, including senior citizens, very young children, and those with a chronic lung condition. A pneumonia vaccine is available to protect against certain types of this potentially deadly illness.

Pneumonia symptoms often include:

• Coughing up mucous or even blood
• Extreme fatigue
• Trouble breathing
• Chest pain that gets worse when you breathe deeply or cough
• High fever with chills
• Headaches
• Frequent sweating with clammy skin
• No appetite
• Acting confused

Cold, Flu, and Pneumonia: How They Compare

The basic differences, says Milstone, come down to whether you can prevent and treat the disease, and how serious the consequences can be.

With the common cold, he says, there's not much that really can be done - there's no vaccine to prevent it, and no treatment to relieve cold symptoms. But since it's not a serious illness and symptoms are pretty mild, it's not typically something you should worry about.

The flu and pneumonia are different stories, however. Both can have very serious consequences and more severe symptoms that can leave you feeling pretty awful. Both are associated with a much higher rate of hospitalization and even death than the common cold; the severe symptoms associated with flu and pneumonia should be evaluated by a doctor.

Some types of both the flu and pneumonia can be prevented with vaccines and treated with medications. These medications can not only prevent serious complications, but also get you feeling better fast - and no matter what you've got, that's all you want.

Answer 2

Flu (influenza) is a virus that infects the respiratory system. In most cases it starts in the nose and sinuses then spreads to the throat but doesn't progress much further than the bronchial tubes leading into the lungs. Pneumonia is caused by either a viral, bacterial, or fungal infection of the lungs and it causes fluid to build up in the lungs. It can also be caused by irritation and damage from smoke inhalation (including cigarette smoke) or from breathing other toxic fumes or pollutants. Those with Asthma or other obstructive lung diseases are more prone to pneumonia than the general population. Both the flu and pneumonia can be serious and even deadly infections, but pneumonia is usually the more severe disease.