AIBU to have only just realised what people meant by a cold is defo not the flu !

[Bringbackdrifterbars]

I am early 30s no massive health issues and would not at all be deemed vulnerable.
I have always known the difference between a cold and flu as in one being influenza but suppose really didn’t listen when people said trust me you would know if you had the flu over a cold.
well I caught the flu and as a healthy adult ended up admitted in to
hospital for the first time in my life because of influenza A !
maybe this year is a bad strand or something but is it usual for it knock out healthy young people ? 🙈🙈

You may have also had flu very mildy of course and not realised it was flu.

I've never knowingly had flu, but given how common it is, I probably have had it, either asymptomatically or just thought it was a cold.

I've had worse colds than I've had covid. The second time I knowingly had covid, I wouldn't have known, except that at the time, work said we had to test before going in to the office - I was surprised to get a positive, and it was 11 days before it was negative, but I felt fine throughout.

But then, I also had glandular fever far more mildly than people who were ill with it at the same time as I was.

Every time I've had flu I have been really ill.

This doesn't make sense. Presumably the times in your life where you've been moderately ill, you've decided yourself that it therefore wasn't flu because you weren't ill enough, and you've then used that to conclude that the only times you've had flu, it's made you really ill. But that is circular logic "this isn't severe enough to be flu, therefore the only times I've had flu it's been severe"
Unless you were tested during the milder illnesses, they could have also been flu.

I've had very bad twice in my life. Second time round, I was in my very early forties and it sent me to bed for a good week. I was really ill: temperature of 40.5.

Sometimes I think your immune system can just go mad, regardless of your age.

I had the flu about 18 years ago and still remember how ill I was.
When people talk about having the flu whilst they scroll on MN....nope, you don't have the FLU.

They might very well, actually. As might anyone who feels perfectly fine, since lots of flu is asymptomatic.

When I had flu I was mostly in bed for 4 days and gradually improved after that. I had spells during that time where I felt slightly better and could scroll and post on mumsnet, get up and go to the toilet. I got pleurisy as an added bonus and it was weeks before I could climb the stairs without horrific pain in my lungs. People do have a tendency to think only their experience of flu is valid and anything milder is not flu.

I had both back to back
Norovirus for 48hrs - I must have been to the bathroom a hundred times
Woke up on day 3 thinking "I don't feel sick. God why is it so HOT in here?!"
I had flu. Was so unwell the doctor did a home visit

Ever get the feeling this thread will rumble on for another while with more posters coming on to tell us all that you can't have flu if you can walk, scroll the internet or eat a single Rice Krispie?

Read the information on the thread. Or if you'd rather hear it from the horse's mouth, Google the scientific information about the presentation of the influenza virus and enjoy your lightbulb moment.

😂

I've had bad flu two or three times and it's awful. It knocks you back for ages. Two of my DC had it badly one year just before Christmas and it was frightening. I've already had my jab this year it's well worth the €30 and I must get the children sorted out soon as well

I had flu when my youngest was 3 months old. Never been as ill in my life. Was in bed for 2 weeks straight - could bearly manage to walk to the bathroom. I lost 2 stone and it took me over 2 months to recover. I remember thinking if I had been in work ( was on maternity leave) and said I’ve got flu and took 2 months off they would have thought I was lying. Even after 2 months I couldn’t push the shopping trolley round the supermarket in one go. I had to sit down half way round. I get the flu jab every year now. People die from influenza- it’s nothing like a cold.

I can’t get booked in for a private flu
jag. I had bad flu and a brat infection in my early 20’s and it was awful. I could barely walk and was hallucinating, I couldn’t tell dreams from reality. I lost 6lbs in a week as I could barely eat. i existed on water and orange flavour ice lollies. Covidwas a walk in the park in comparison.

Last year I got a horrible virus at new year and I think it might have been flu but was fairly short lived. I remember not being able to sleep all night at all and crying as I was so tired. I sat in the bath crying in the morning trying to feel better. It turned a corner that day and I felt better but I really felt rough. I’m scared this year as I work Hybrid and have set days I must be on the office and that trains are full of people coughing etc.

I had norovirus in April 2020…no Covid and we were in lockdown so I can only surmise is got it from the supermarket. Husband got it first and I was fine then as typical with norovirus I was suddenly sick and the whole night both ends of my body were a liability. I got it again in 2022 (after a buffet at a work so communal food is out). I’ve had it twice before that from my lovely niece as a toddler (she is 22 now) so there has been about 20 years between infections.

Correct. I am nearly 60, and I have never had flu. I have had lots of bad colds. Sadly, many people self-diagnose and use the word "flu" incorrectly.

Did you not self-diagnose as 'bad colds' though

I dont think you know until you have actually been there. Unable to stand up no clear thoughts in your brain and time just passes in a blur.

Cold can make you feel awful but a cold is seen like just a bit of a sniffly nose and sneezing. When in fact a cold can be temperature heavy head and feeling really awful. So people say they have the flu as it sounds more than just a cold when it's a bit more than a runny/blocked up nose.

Flu is horrible. I had it in my early 20s and collapsed on the way to the bathroom. It really wiped me out. Hope I never get it again.

But flu can be mild or moderate as well as severe (or symptomless) so unless you are getting a flu test every time you have a cough/sore throat/runny nose/headache you can't know for sure what virus you have.

Every year without fail. It never changes. 😂

The couple of times I’ve had flu, I’ve genuinely wanted to slip away in my sleep to stop the suffering.
It really is horrific.

And a cold can make you feel like death warmed up hence my comment that it sounds better to claim you have the flu than you have a cold. The chances of it being flu is lower than it is a cold

but hey you do you...

I've had flu a couple of times and its much worse and harder to recover from than a cold which usually doesn't floor you and you can recover from in a few days. Other viruses and infections are also awful, I had strep throat earlier this year and that was really bad.

Flu can be mild as often as it can be severe and colds can be awful - yabu