Your nose is stuffy, your throat is scratchy, and your head is pounding. Is it a cold or the seasonal flu? Symptoms can overlap, so unless your doctor runs a rapid flu test — a quick check done with a cotton swab from the back of your nose or throat — it’s hard to know for sure.
Here are some basic guidelines for telling the difference between cold and flu symptoms, and what to do if you have either one of these infections.
Read MoreSome illnesses you can catch overseas can be prevented with immunisation. Anyone travelling overseas should visit their doctor or travel health clinic to find out what vaccinations they need. Even if you think your travel destination is safe, keep in mind that disease outbreaks can and do happen. Vaccination offers good protection against many diseases.
Read MoreMeasles is one of the most easily spread of all human infections. Just being in the same room as someone with measles can result in infection. It is usually spread when a person breathes in the measles virus that has been coughed or sneezed into the air by an infectious person. People with measles are usually infectious from just before the symptoms begin until four days after the rash appears. The time from exposure to becoming sick is usually about 10 days. The rash usually appears around 14 days after exposure.
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