Health tip / Cold & flu season

This time of year, the question we get more than any other at the counter is some version of: "Is this just a cold, or is it the flu?"

The short answer: colds come on gradually and stay in your head, runny nose, sore throat, mild cough. The flu hits you like a truck, high fever, body aches, exhaustion that puts you on the couch for days. If you're still able to potter around the house, it's probably a cold. If you can barely lift your head off the pillow, it's likely the flu.

For most healthy adults, both clear up on their own with rest, fluids, and over-the-counter symptom relief. But come and see a pharmacist if your symptoms last longer than a week, you're getting worse rather than better, or you have a high fever that won't budge. We can recommend appropriate treatments, check whether antivirals might help if it's caught early, and let you know when it's time to see a GP.

Drop in any time during pharmacy hours — no appointment needed.