Though the' cold and the flu might seem like second cousins, they are two different illnesses altogether. Knowing precisely what you have can make a huge difference in your treatment.

It’s a cold when:

Symptoms: According to WebMD, an international health website, the three most frequent symptoms of a cold are nasal 'stuffiness, sneezing, and runny nose. Throat irritation is often involved but not with a red throat. Adults and older children with colds generally have minimal or no fever. Infants and toddlers often run a fever in the 100 to 102 degree range. Other symptoms include a feeling that your ears are blocked and you'll find yourself with coloured mucus or nasal discharge. But, not to worry because the discharge basically means your immune system is fighting the infection. Depending on which virus is the culprit, the virus might also produce a headache, cough, postnatal drip, burning eyes, or a decreased in appetite, but in a cold, the most prominent symptoms are in the nose. The entire cold is usually healed all by itself in about seven days, with perhaps a few lingering symptoms like a cough for another week. If it lasts longer, consider another problem, such as a sinus infection or allergies.

You get it by:  Hand to mouth rather than airborne

Special Note: The common cold is centred in the nose and throat

Its flu when:

The flu can be a much more serious illness. A single family of viruses; the influenza virus causes the flu. Most people get the flu once every year, and the illness is unpleasant but not usually dangerous. Unlike the common cold, both adults and children with the flu generally have a fever. Classically, the flu begins abruptly, with a fever in the 102 - 106 degree range, a flushed face, body aches, and an apparent lack of energy. Some people have other systemic symptoms such as dizziness or vomiting. The fever usually lasts for a day or two but can lasts up to five days. Symptoms include irritation in the throat or lungs, a dry cough, high fever, shivering, sweating and finally severe muscle aches. Somewhere between day two and day four of the illness, the "whole body" symptoms begin to subside, and respiratory symptoms begin to increase. The virus can settle anywhere in the respiratory tract, producing symptoms of a cold, sore throat, ear infection and if you don't have the right medication, it can turn into something more serious like bronchiolitis and pneumonia.

You get it by: Hand to mouth rather than airborne

Special Note: The flu tends to affect the whole body such as a body ache while the common cold affects the nose and throat only