Sheldon, Iowa — Cold and flu season is upon us, and sometimes it’s easy to mistake one illness for the other.
Dr. Amy Badberg of Sanford Sheldon Clinic and Hospital says there are some differences in symptoms between a cold and a case of the flu.
Badberg says another difference is the fact that influenza comes on much more quickly than a cold.
Last week the Iowa Department of Public Health announced the first flu-related death of the season in Iowa, a middle-age man from eastern Iowa. Badberg says that illustrates how serious influenza can be, and that you should protect yourself against the flu.
She says you should even do little things, like wiping the handle of shopping carts before you use them.
Badberg tells us that, locally, they’ve seen an increase in influenza cases.
She says both colds and the flu last for about the same amount of time.
Badberg’s advice…..get a flu shot. Even if you still get the flu, the shot should help you get over it more quickly, with symptoms that are less severe.
