A cold or the flu? When to come to the pharmacy.
Both start with a sore throat and both feel wretched. But the difference decides what helps and how long it lasts.
How to tell the difference
The most reliable clue is not a single symptom but the pace.
A cold creeps up. In the morning the throat is scratchy, in the evening the nose runs, the next day a cough joins in. Fever is rare or stays low. You feel weak but can usually still function. After about a week things are noticeably better, though the cough often hangs on a little longer.
Flu arrives like a blow. Many people can name the hour it started. Typical signs are high fever, shivering, severe headache and aching limbs, a dry cough and an exhaustion that genuinely forces you into bed. That drags on for a good week, and the tiredness often lingers for weeks afterwards.
| Feature | Cold | Flu |
|---|---|---|
| Onset | gradual | sudden, often to the hour |
| Fever | rare or low | high, with shivering |
| Aching limbs | mild | severe |
| Duration | around a week | a good week, tiredness persists |
| Everyday life | usually possible | not possible |
Worth knowing
A cold: slow and rather mild. Flu: sudden, with high fever and a feeling of illness that brooks no argument. If you are unsure, that is exactly the question we settle at the counter in two minutes.
What actually helps
Both are caused by viruses. That is why antibiotics do not help in either case. They work against bacteria and achieve nothing against cold or flu viruses. A doctor only prescribes them when a bacterial infection comes on top, for instance an infection of the middle ear or the sinuses.
What does actually do something:
- Drinking. Not litres on command, but regularly. With a fever the body loses more fluid than usual.
- Rest. The often-heard line that you have to “let a cold run its course” is true in so far as the body needs time. Going to work with a fever usually draws the whole thing out.
- Relieving symptoms. Decongestant nasal sprays for a few days, painkillers and fever reducers, lozenges for a sore throat, inhaling. That cures nothing, but it makes the week bearable.
- A saline nasal rinse. Unspectacular, cheap, helps many people more than the third combination product.
What we tend to advise against: combination products containing five active ingredients at once when you only have two symptoms. You are then taking substances you do not need, and which can get in the way of other medication.
From the counter
People often ask for combination products. That is exactly what I regularly advise against when someone has only a single symptom. You are then treating three things that are not even there.
When you are better off seeing a doctor
The pharmacy is the right first port of call. But there are situations in which we send you on, and we say so clearly:
- breathing difficulty or pain when breathing
- fever for more than three days, or fever that rises again after improvement
- confusion, drowsiness, persistent vomiting
- symptoms in infants and small children, during pregnancy or with chronic conditions of the heart, lungs or immune system
- if after a week you are not slowly getting better but worse
The second point is the most important and the most commonly overlooked: if things first improve and then go downhill again, a bacterial infection may have set in on top. That should be investigated.
What applies to children and from what point it belongs in a doctor’s hands is described under for children and families.
Is the flu vaccination worthwhile?
The flu vaccination is recommended yearly because the circulating virus strains change. It is particularly recommended for people aged 65 and over, people with chronic conditions, pregnant women (for whom it is the doctor, not us) and everyone who has close contact with people at risk, professionally or privately.
The best time lies between mid-October and the end of November, so that protection is in place before the wave rolls in. Later is still better than not at all.
The vaccine contains no viruses capable of multiplying, so you cannot catch flu from it. It protects against influenza. It does not prevent the two or three colds you get every year anyway. Anyone vaccinated in November who gets a runny nose in December simply has a cold.
With us you can be vaccinated without a doctor’s appointment, provided you are healthy and at least 16 years old. During pregnancy, with a chronic condition and for children, the doctor is responsible. That is the regulation in force and not reticence on our part. More on this under vaccinations.
From the counter
The most common objection to the flu vaccination is that people got ill anyway. My answer to that: the vaccination does not protect against catching it, but it makes the course milder.
How to protect yourself and others
What people here are regularly too late with is prevention. None of it is new, but it works: wash your hands, cough into your elbow, stay at home with a fever, air the rooms. The last point is underestimated. Dry heated air makes the mucous membranes more permeable, and that is exactly how the viruses get in.
If you live with older relatives or visit them, the flu vaccination is also a courtesy. A healthy adult shrugs off flu. For an 82-year-old with heart failure it is a serious matter.
Important
With breathing difficulty, persistent high fever or deterioration after an initial improvement, you belong in medical care.
As of August 2026. Vaccination recommendations according to the Swiss vaccination schedule of the Federal Office of Public Health.
Managing director and qualified pharmacy technician, with further training in biochemistry according to Dr Schuessler and the Bach flower training of the Bach Centre. A training supervisor and examination expert – anyone who wants to do their apprenticeship with us is guided by her.
Professionally reviewed by our qualified pharmacists. This article does not replace a medical diagnosis.
Frequently asked questions about colds and flu
Can I exercise with a cold?
With a mild runny nose and no fever there is little against a walk. With fever, aching limbs or a productive cough, exercise is out. The heart muscle can be affected during an infection, and that is why this rule is not a cautious platitude.
How long am I infectious?
With a cold usually one to two days before the first symptoms and then about a week. With flu the infectious period begins around a day before symptoms start and lasts about five to seven days, often longer in children.
I take medication regularly. Can I simply add a cold remedy?
Ask first. Decongestants for instance can raise blood pressure, and some painkillers go badly with blood thinners. Bring your medication list along and we will see it in a minute.
Does vitamin C help against colds?
The evidence shows no convincing effect on how often people with a normal supply catch colds. A slight effect on the duration is discussed. We will gladly sell it to you if you want it, but we do not claim that it saves you from the cold.
What about zinc?
Zinc taken early can possibly shorten the duration a little. "Possibly" is the honest wording here. What matters is starting early; after three days it no longer does anything.
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For healthy people aged 16 and over. The best time is mid-October to the end of November; bring your vaccination record.