Everyone knows what it feels like to have a cold. You a sniffling and sneezing and might even have a sore throat. Although most adults get over a cold within 10 days of the first symptoms, sometimes those pesky symptoms don’t disappear. Or, your cold evolves into something else entirely. You might start to wonder if something bigger is going on, especially if your over-the-counter medication is having no effect.
Colds, influenza, and pneumonia all start out feeling slightly similar, but the severity of symptoms separates them. Knowing the difference is important, because you don’t want to wait too long to get treatment for flu or pneumonia if your case is severe.
Here is everything you need to distinguish between a cold, flu, and pneumonia:
