你是否发现身边越来越多人抽着鼻涕，又或者你就是其中一员，觉得鼻塞、头痛、浑身累的不行。千万别觉得这只是普通的感冒，它极有可能是流感，流感和感冒虽然症状相似可是却是有着巨大的不同！

It's that time of year again. You wake up with a scratchy throat, stuffy nose, a little achy - maybe a fever. Is it a classic head cold, or do you need to be more concerned? Could it be the flu?

又到了每年的这个时候。你醒来时喉咙发痒，鼻塞，还有点疼 - 也许还发烧。这是典型的感冒，还是你需要更多的担忧？这可能是流感吗？

"There's lots of confusion out there, because both are viral respiratory illnesses," says Dr. Yul Ejnes, an internal medicine specialist in private practice in Rhode Island and spokesperson for the American College of Physicians. "No one likes to get a cold, but people are more fearful of the flu."

"现在有很多困惑，因为这两种疾病都是病毒性呼吸道疾病，"罗德岛私人诊所的内科专家，美国内科医师学会发言人Yul Ejnes博士说。"没有人喜欢感冒，但人们更害怕流感。"

And rightly so.

这样做是对的。

Last year's influenza season was particularly severe, resulting in an unusually high number of hospitalizations and deaths from flu complications.

去年的流感季节特别严重，导致因流感并发症住院和死亡的人数异乎寻常地高。

So, if you do have the flu, it's important to consult with your health care provider about treatment. And distinguishing between a cold and flu may be easier than you think, Ejnes says. There are some clear distinctions between the two similar types of viral illness in terms of symptoms - how quickly they appear and how severe they become.

因此，如果你确实患有流感，向你的医疗服务提供者咨询治疗方法是很重要的。 Ejnes说，区分感冒和流感可能比你想象的容易。在症状方面，两种相似类型的病毒性疾病之间存在一些明显的区别 - 它们出现的速度和严重程度。

Flu symptoms, Ejnes says, usually start abruptly - though you can spread the virus before symptoms surface.

Ejnes说，流感症状通常会突然开始 - 尽管你可以在病症出现之前传播病毒。

"Patients can pretty much tell you when the symptoms hit them - after lunch, for example, or yesterday afternoon," says Ejnes.

"病人几乎可以告诉你他们什么时候出现症状 - 例如，午餐后，或者昨天下午，"Ejnes说。

A cold, on the other hand, takes a couple of days to build up. You may have a scratchy throat one day and then the nose starts to get stuffy the next day.

另一方面，感冒需要几天时间才会爆发。你可能有一天喉咙发痒，第二天鼻子就开始不通气。

You may also develop a fever with a cold. But typically, it's a "low-grade" rise in temperature, hovering around 99 or 100 degrees Farenheit.

你也可能因感冒而发烧。但通常情况下，这是一个"低等级"的温度上升，徘徊在华氏99或100度左右。

With flu, that fever is usually significantly higher - at least 101 degrees. Chills and body aches are another flu hallmark or, as Ejnes says, "feeling like a truck ran you over - where you can't even move a muscle."

对于流感，发烧通常会显着升高 - 至少101度。畏寒和身体疼痛是流感的另一个特征，或正如Ejnes所说，"感觉就像一辆卡车碾过你 - 你甚至连一块肌肉都动不了。"

Dragging yourself out of bed can seem impossible when you have the flu. "You're just wiped out with total body fatigue," he says, whereas with a cold, people often "soldier on" and get out of bed for work or social activities.

当你患上流感时，把自己从床上拖起来似乎是不可能的。"你会因为全身的疲劳而疲惫不堪，"他说，而感冒时，人们通常会"坚持下去"，从床上爬起来工作或参加社交活动。

Heading to work isn't a good idea, of course, even with a mild cold, because it exposes others to the virus -- but lots of people do it. (Colds tend to be most contagious in the first several days of illness.)

当然，即使是轻微感冒，去上班也不是个好主意，因为这会让其他人感染病毒 - 但很多人都会这样做。（在患病的前几天，感冒往往最具传染性。）

There can be congestion and cough from the postnasal drip of a head cold, but it's not nearly as severe as with flu. Influenza can trigger long bouts of coughing and even trouble breathing.

感冒后流鼻涕可能会导致鼻塞和咳嗽，但它并不像流感那么严重。流感可引发长时间的咳嗽甚至呼吸困难。

So, when patients tell Ejnes that their symptoms developed suddenly, their fever is high and their body aches severe, he assumes flu, he says.

因此，当患者告诉Ejnes他们的症状突然出现，他们的体温很高，他们的身体疼痛严重时，他就认为是流感，他说。

But should those symptoms send you to the doctor? That depends, Ejnes says. If you're a healthy adult without any chronic health problems, you may instead do fine with merely phoning your doctor, who can quickly prescribe any of several antiviral medications. That medicine is most effective when given within two days of symptoms.

但这些症状应该让你去看医生吗？这依情况而定，Ejnes说。如果你是一个没有任何慢性健康问题的健康成年人，你可能只需要给你的医生打个电话就可以了，他可以迅速开出几种抗病毒药物。那种药在出现症状后两天内服用最有效。

"It's not a miracle drug by any stretch," cautions Ejnes, but it can offer some relief by reducing the severity of symptoms and the duration of the illness by a day or so.

"无论如何，它都不是一种神奇的药物，"Ejnes警告说，但它可以通过减轻症状的严重性和疾病持续时间一天左右来提供一些缓解。

Ejnes says he prefers a phone chat to a visit in such cases - partly to limit the number of people in his waiting room who have the flu.

Ejnes说，在这种情况下，他宁愿打电话沟通也不愿去看医生 - 部分原因是为了限制候诊室里感染流感的人数。

"I've had the most ironic scenarios, where somebody's coming into the office to get a flu shot and - while they're waiting to be called in - they're sitting next to someone who's coming in with symptoms that might be the flu."

"我遇到过最具讽刺意味的情况，有人来到办公室注射流感疫苗，而在他们等待被叫进来的时候，他们的旁边坐着的人可能有流感的症状。"

So call first.

所以先打个电话。

‘Red flags’ that escalate risk

风险升级的"危险信号"

However, doctors do want people who are at high risk of developing complications to be seen by the health team when flu is suspected, says infectious disease physician Dr. Matthew Zahn. He's the medical director of the Division of Epidemiology and Assessment for the Orange County Health Care Agency, in Southern California, and spokesperson for the Infectious Disease Society of America.

然而，传染病医生Matthew Zahn博士说，当怀疑流感时，医生们确实希望卫生小组能够对那些有可能出现并发症的高危人群进行检查。他是南加州奥兰治县医疗保健机构流行病学和评估部的医疗主任，也是美国传染病学会的发言人。

This at-risk group includes children under age 5, whose immune systems are still developing; adults 65 and older, whose immune systems are waning; pregnant women; and individuals who have certain underlying medical conditions. These pre-existing conditions include asthma, chronic lung disease, heart disease, kidney disorders and liver disorders - all are known to diminish the strength of the immune system and the ability to fight off influenza.

这个高危人群包括5岁以下的儿童，他们的免疫系统仍在发育； 65岁及以上的成年人，其免疫系统正在衰退；孕妇；以及有某些潜在疾病的个人。这些已经存在的疾病包括哮喘，慢性肺病，心脏病，肾脏疾病和肝脏疾病 - 所有这些疾病都被认为会削弱免疫系统的力量和对抗流感的能力。

Antiviral medicine can be helpful for this group, he says, even if it is given more than two days after flu symptoms appear.

他说，抗病毒药物对这一群体有帮助，即使它是在流感症状出现后两天以上服用。

And whether you get treatment or not, there are some important "red flags" to be aware of with the flu, says Zahn.

Zahn说，无论你是否接收治疗，流感都有一些重要的"危险信号"需要注意。

Watch for "any sort of breathing problems," he says. Coughing occasionally is one thing, but if you're having trouble catching your breath, go see your doctor "really quickly."

他说，注意"任何呼吸问题"。偶尔咳嗽是一回事，但如果你呼吸困难，请"快点"去看医生。

Breathing problems can be symptomatic of pneumonia, a common and serious complication of the flu, in which the air sacs of one or both lungs become clogged.

呼吸问题可能是肺炎的症状，肺炎是流感的常见且严重的并发症，其中一个或双肺的气囊被堵塞。

A sudden and significant change in mental health status with the respiratory symptoms is also a red flag, Zahn says. If you or a loved one have trouble focusing or are not as alert as normal, make your way to a doctor right away.

Zahn说，精神健康状况突然发生重大变化，并伴有呼吸系统症状，也是一个危险信号。如果你或你所爱的人注意力不集中或不像平常那样警觉，马上去看医生。

Flu shots aren't just for the kids and grandpa

流感疫苗不仅适合孩子和爷爷

While antiviral medication can reduce symptoms, infectious disease specialists agree that the best way to prevent the flu is to get the flu vaccine.

虽然抗病毒药物可以减轻症状，但传染病专家一致认为，预防流感的最佳方法是接种流感疫苗。

"Each year we have tens of thousands of people die of flu," Zahn says, and the vaccine can help prevent that. While flu seasons are unpredictable and strains of the virus mutate from year to year, vaccines can still be anywhere from 40 percent to 60 percent effective in preventing severe complications and hospitalization.

"每年我们都有成千上万人死于流感，"Zahn说，疫苗可以帮助预防这种情况发生。虽然流感季节是不可预测的，而且病毒株每年都会发生变异，但疫苗在预防严重并发症和住院方面仍然有40%到60%的效果。

Vaccination rates against flu are highest among Americans 65 and older and among children 4 and younger, he says, but most others could benefit from a flu shot, too. And that's not happening - among American adults aged 18 to 64, typically less than half get immunized.

他说，美国65岁以上和4岁以下儿童的流感疫苗接种率最高，但其他大多数人也能从流感疫苗中受益。这种情况并没有发生 - 在18至64岁的美国成年人中，通常不到一半的人接种了疫苗。

Of course, it's best to get your flu vaccine at the beginning of flu season - in the fall - but it's not too late. The influenza season runs throughout winter.

当然，最好在流感季节开始时 - 在秋季 - 接种流感疫苗，但现在还为时不晚。流感季节贯穿整个冬季。

As for treating a cold, well, you're pretty much out of luck.

至于治疗感冒，好吧，你可没那么幸运。

"The reality is nothing is available to shorten the duration of a head cold," says internist Ejnes.

"事实上，没有任何方法可以缩短感冒的持续时间，"内科医生Ejnes说。

Over-the-counter medication can ease symptoms, he says. Decongestants can help reduce cough, nasal sprays can help reduce stuffiness, and lozenges can help relieve a sore throat.

他说，非处方药可缓解症状。减充血剂可以帮助减少咳嗽，鼻腔喷雾可以帮助减轻鼻塞，而含片可以帮助缓解喉咙痛。

"Some folks have more luck with these OTC remedies than others," Ejnes says.

"有些人比其他人更有运气使用这些OTC药物，"Ejnes说。

Then there is the ever-popular chicken soup, which can help you feel better - especially if there's lots of steam, which can help clear up nasal congestion.

还有一种一直很受欢迎的鸡汤，它能让你感觉更好 - 特别是如果有很多蒸汽，这可以帮助缓解鼻塞。

But, bottom line, Ejnes says patients just have to do whatever they can to ease symptoms until the cold runs its course - usually in seven to 10 days. "There's nothing we can do to speed that process up."

但是，最重要的是，Ejnes说患者必须尽其所能缓解症状，直到感冒结束 - 通常是7到10天。"我们无法加快这一进程。"

（责任编辑：周姚）