The flu and common colds: How to prevent illness and treat yourself this winter

The flu can cause dangerous complications for some people (Creative Commons/Tina Franklin)

Be it the bug going around the office or a sniffle from a stuffy bus ride, it's likely you'll catch a cold - or even the flu - this winter. But with a few simple steps, you can protect yourself from illness, and battle it wisely if and when it arrives.

What is the difference between the flu and a cold?

Flu is the name commonly used to describe symptoms of the influenza virus, which is an air-borne infectious viral disease. Whilst you can catch flu at any time of year, it is more common in winter.

There is often a great deal of discrepancy between what patients and doctors believe to be flu. Flu is much less common than an ordinary cold, with patients suffering more severe symptoms that tend to last far longer.

As a useful rule of thumb, a GP I worked with during my training told me: “If you see a £20 note on the floor, and you are able to bend and pick it up – it’s a cold. If you leave it there, it’s flu!”

How do you catch flu?

Millions of droplets of mucus carrying the influenza virus can become airborne when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Studies suggest this invisible germ cloud can travel as far as a metre away from an infected patient. The virus itself can then survive for up to 24 hours outside the body.

If a person without the virus breathes in these infected droplets, or touches a surface where the droplets have landed and then touches their mouth or nose, they too can become infected with flu. Flu symptoms generally start within a few days of a patient having contact with an infected person.

The ability of the virus to live outside the body is one of the reasons it is so infectious. For this reason, there have been countless NHS campaigns to educate patients about hand hygiene. It is also important for people to remember to cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing. A patient can pass on flu germs for as long as they are displaying flu symptoms.

Flu versus cold symptoms

Common flu symptoms include high fevers, sometimes accompanied by shivering and the sensation of feeling cold, feeling generally weaker and more lethargic, and general aches and pains. While typical cold-like symptoms such as nasal congestion and sneezing might be evident, they are usually minor issues compared with the aches and fatigue of flu.

Patients with flu generally feel unwell for around a week, although many report that their feelings of lethargy continue much longer.

Flu treatment

As flu is caused by the influenza virus, antibiotics will not have any impact. However, over-the-counter medication is available that people can take to manage the feverish temperatures and pain associated with flu. They include paracetamol and ibuprofen. People with flu should also drink plenty of fluids.

Anti-viral treatment, such as Tamiflu, is available to treat viruses. However, this is not routinely given and is usually saved for at-risk groups such as elderly patients who live in close environments (such as in nursing homes). It has been suggested that treatment with an anti-viral drug can reduce symptoms by a day.

It is important to use tissues to stop the spread of disease (Anna J/ Creative Commons)

Flu complications

Some groups of patients are more at risk from the complications associated with flu than others. They include the elderly, younger children, pregnant women, patients with chronic health issues such as heart or kidney disease, and those with breathing problems such as COPD or asthma.

Patients undergoing chemotherapy, which will weaken the body’s immune response and make fighting off infections more difficult, are also more at risk of flu complications. If you think you have flu, it is sensible to limit contact with any family or friends who might have weakened immune systems or chronic health problems.

The most common complication associated with flu is a secondary chest infection, usually of a bacterial nature. This is more common in patients who have pre-existing lung problems such as asthma or COPD. Other common secondary infections include throat, sinus and ear infections.

While your body is fighting off the flu virus, your immune system is focusing its efforts on clearing the virus from your system. This process will naturally weaken your immune system for a short period of time, meaning you are more prone to picking up any other infections that you come into contact with.

Why the flu jab doesn’t always work

The flu virus is adept at mutating and adapting to new surroundings, both in terms of its genetic structure and its ability to survive outside the body. This means that we are likely to see different strains of the influenza virus every year. Unfortunately, as those strains are new, our bodies are unable to build up a tolerance, meaning we can be infected year after year.

The influenza vaccine contains a weakened version of the virus which has been predicted to cause the most problems that year. This process means that only some strains of flu are covered. If you have had the flu vaccine, but come into contact with a different version of the flu virus, you may still get infected. However, the flu vaccine is vital to reducing the overall rate of flu and its transmission. The vaccine is targeted to groups of patient who are vulnerable to complications from flu and is best given during the autumn months.

Avoiding flu and cold

While medicine can help in reducing flu and cold symptoms, the best strategy lies in avoiding infection in the first place.

A thorough approach to hand hygiene, with frequent hand washing, is vital to reducing the spread of both the common cold and flu. Ensure that you cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough. If you cough or sneeze into a tissue, make sure that you discard the tissue immediately and wash your hands straight away.

Flu is a condition which ultimately resolves itself in most patients. However, it can be fatal for the elderly and the vulnerable. We all share a role in reducing the transmission of flu. By following the hygiene guidance you might save yourself a week of suffering, but you just might be saving someone else’s life.

Dr Alexandra Phelan is an NHS GP and member of the Pharmacy2u.co.uk Online Doctor Service team.