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The flu or influenza and the common cold are two separate illnesses which at the very beginning of the illness can be very hard to determine which is which, the common cold can be caused by any 1 of over 250 viruses, while the flu is caused by the influenza virus alone and is a much more serious illness. The flu starts off with very similar symptoms to those of the common cold but then other symptoms begin to show within a few days, you can usually determine if your child has a common cold or if it is the flu by these symptoms. The general symptoms of the common cold along with:

* A high fever

* Severe muscle aches and pains

* Overall aching body

* Severe headache

* A loss of appetite

* Extreme weakness in the limbs

* Fatigue

A common cold will generally last for around a week and will gradually go away of its own accord; the flu however can last for around 14 days with the cough and fatigue symptoms lasting for much longer.

How is flu spread?

The flu can spread much like the common cold through airborne droplets such as those found in a cough or sneeze, however it can also be spread indirectly as it can live for up to 48 hours out of the body. This means that it can be spread by the child infected touching items such as keyboards, telephone handset, and doorknobs and more commonly in young children, toys.

Who is more at risk?

Very young children under the age of 2 years are most at risk from flu as are children who are prone to conditions such as asthma, heart problems and those suffering from cystic fibrosis. This is due to the fact that the influenza virus usually weakens the body’s immune and defence systems making the child more susceptible to other infections during this time.

Is there any treatment for the flu?

There is currently no medicine or treatment that can specifically cure the flu with the best approach being prevention rather than cure, if your child is more susceptible, then getting a flu vaccine is the best way to go. If your child develops the flu then they should be allowed to get plenty of rest, drink plenty of fluids and take child pain relief medication such as Calpol to ease any aches and pains. Two important points to note is that you should never give your child aspirin and that antibiotic will have no affect on the virus.