1 of 2 / Common Cold
View AllWhat Is a Cold?
A cold begins when a virus attaches to the lining of your nose or throat.
What's Causing My Cold?
Cold viruses have a lot in common, but each type has its own style, too.
Is It a Common Cold or Allergies?
It's a question that puzzles lots of folks when symptoms hit: Is all that coughing and sneezing from a cold or hay fever?
What Puts You at Risk for the Common Cold?
2 of 2 / Flu (Influenza)
View AllDo You Have a Cold or Flu?
Do you feel under the weather and wonder if you're sick with the flu or a cold?
Flu Test: How to Find the Virus
A doctor can usually tell if you have the flu based on your symptoms, especially if it’s during peak season.
Bird Flu (H5N1)
Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a viral infection spread from bird to bird. The most common kind is the H5N1 strain.
Swine Flu (H1N1)
While swine flu isn't as scary as it seemed a few years ago, it's still important to protect yourself from getting it.
Suggested Reads about Cold and Flu
Signs It Could Be More Than a Cold
Learn how to tell if you have just a run-of-the-mill cold or something else, like the flu, allergies, bronchitis, sinusitis, or pneumonia.
What Doctors Do to Boost Their Immune Systems
How can you make your immune system stronger? Why not try what the pros try?
What to Eat -- and Avoid -- When You Have a Cold
What you eat and drink when you have a cold can affect how you feel and how long you’re sick. Find out from WebMD which foods can help and hurt.
Anatomy of a Sore Throat
WebMD explores the types and causes of sore throat, including strep throat, and shows you how to find relief from that raw, scratchy feeling.
8 million+ Physician Ratings & Reviews
Find Doctors and Dentists Near You
You can also search by physician, practice, or hospital name
Related Links
- Cold
- Cough
- Flu
- Cold, Flu, & Cough News
- Cold, Flu, & Cough Reference
- Cold, Flu, & Cough Slideshows
- Cold, Flu, & Cough Quizzes
- Cold, Flu, & Cough Videos
- Cold, Flu, & Cough Medications
- Find a Doctor
- Cold & Flu Map
- Allergies
- Bronchitis
- Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Ear Infection
- Flu Vaccine
- Sinus Infection
- Strep Throat
- Drug Interaction Checker
- More Related Topics