Cold or flu?

Check out the symptoms, then get to bed or get on with your life. Oh and guys, the women in your life always know when your flat-out flu is really a slight cold, so don't try to milk it.

Symptoms:

• Going down?
  A cold can take a couple of days to kick in, while flu may develop so fast you could even be bed-bound within an hour of feeling a bit under the weather.
• Raging temperature?
  Very unusual in a cold sufferer, but standard issue for flu with temperatures over 100 degrees C, sometimes lasting several days.
• Headache?
  Not a big cold feature, but the headache that can accompany flu could force you to lie down with the lights off for some time.
• Muscular aches?
  A cold will leave you feeling fragile, but flu can floor you physically, complete with shaking chills, even chest pains. After that kind of battering, you may not feel completely chipper for a couple of weeks.
• Total exhaustion?
  Not with a cold, so don't fake it. With flu, you could be so wiped out that all you can do is lie in bed and hold on tight until it's over.
• Stuffy nose/sore throat?
  Almost standard issue with colds, but only an occasional flu feature.
• Vomiting?
  Common with many strains of flu, but hardly ever seen with a cold unless complications set in.

Worst case scenario

A little earache or sinus trouble if you're unlucky with a cold, while flu complications can include bronchitis, pneumonia, or even death in very rare cases. Also bear in mind that it's possible to show symptoms of both a cold and flu at the same time.