How to tell for yourself whether it is a cold or pneumonia

Cold and pneumonia are both upper respiratory tract infections, and there are certain similarities in clinical symptoms and signs. However, in general, by observing whether the patient has typical symptoms such as fever, cough, and sputum production, and after comprehensive analysis in combination with the relevant examination results, it can usually be preliminarily judged to be a cold or pneumonia.

1. Clinical symptoms

1. Cold: If it only manifests as symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, etc., it is considered as a common cold; If it is accompanied by fever, cough, and sputum production, it may be influenza;

2. Pneumonia: In addition to the above manifestations, it can also be accompanied by chest tightness, shortness of breath, dyspnea, cyanosis and other conditions.

2. Auxiliary examination

1. Blood routine: For pneumonia caused by bacterial infection, the white blood cell count and the proportion of neutrophils will be significantly increased. In the case of a cold caused by a viral infection, the proportion of lymphocytes is relatively high;

2. Chest X-ray: It can be found that the lung texture is thickened and blurred, and there are speckled shadows formed, and some patients will also have atelectasis. A simple cold does not cause such a condition;

3. CT scan: CT scan has high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of pneumonia, which can show the increased density of the lesion site, and can see the thickening of the bronchial wall and blurred edges.

Etiological testing can also be used to identify the specific cause. If a positive influenza virus antigen test indicates influenza virus infection, and a positive nucleic acid test for the novel coronavirus indicates that you may have pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus infection. It is recommended that patients seek medical attention in a timely manner and complete various examinations under the guidance of a doctor to clarify the specific situation.