What are the symptomatic differences between a common cold and influenza?

Years ago, my husband and I both had influenza, and we ran very high fevers for a little over a week. However, we've been told that influenza symptoms can vary. My husband just got sick, he only ran a little fever, but he went straight to having a bad cough. Could he have influenza, or does he just have yet another winter cold?

Influenza causes a higher fever more body aches. Usually a cough but not a runny nose.

It sounds like just another winter cold. But then again, I'm no doctor, lol.

Very little difference in symptoms at all and it can be impossible to tell just from them. Except that the flu is usually more severe than the common cold. Whether it's a cold virus, or an influenza virus, your body still tries to fight it and get rid of it in the same way. Fevers, coughing, runny nose, etc.

The only sure way is to be tested for flu by your doctor, but it does sound very much like it's just a cold.

There are a number of virus diseases around this winter, which are neither 'colds' nor Influenza. Some of these are very unpleasant, and he could have any one of them.

Normal 'colds' do not last more than about three days, and come from a wide group of viruses.

Influenza is always caused by the Influenza virus, though there are variants of it, which cause symptoms of varying degrees of seriousness. Influenza strikes fast, - within a few hours of getting it you will be feeling ill, clinging to a radiator, etc. You will normally feel it getting worse by the hour when it starts, and it is a much more serious disease than the others. If you catch a strain similar to one which you have had before, you may have some immunity to it, and the symptoms will be milder.