With me to discuss the signs, symptoms and treatment of the flu, are two specialists. First is Dr. Jason Kendler. He's an assistant professor of medicine at Cornell Medical Center. Thanks for being here.

JASON KENDLER, MD: Thank you.

DAVID MARKS, MD: His colleague is also with us from Cornell Medical Center, Dr. Adam Stracher. He's also an assistant professor of medicine. Thanks for being here.

ADAM STRACHER, MD: My pleasure.

DAVID MARKS, MD: Jason, how is the flu diagnosed?

JASON KENDLER, MD: In general, the flu is diagnosed on clinical grounds. Basically what that means is, we listen to what the patient says, we make our diagnosis based on the symptoms they're having, the severity of the symptoms, how long they've had the symptoms and so forth. There are some laboratory tests we can use to help confirm our suspicion that they have the flu as well.

Dee, patient/suffer-er: Ugh... so... sick...

DAVID MARKS, MD: Go over some of these complaints or these signs that you can see on physical exam.

ADAM STRACHER, MD: Some of the ones that you mentioned, fever, sore throat, nausea. But the most severe and the most typical symptoms of the flu are the sudden onset of fevers and chills. They can often be shaking chills. People can often tell you hour, the very time of day that they started to get sick. Fevers as high as 104, 105. Terrible muscle aches, terrible headaches. That's really very characteristic of influenza infection.

Dee, patient/suffer-er: yeah.. that's me.. sick... fever, chills, headaches, everything aches!

DAVID MARKS, MD: We call a lot of things "flu" out there. People get colds and, in the winter time, they call it the flu. Are they usually a cold, or is the flu more common during the winter?

Dee, patient/suffer-er: who cares what it is, just get it out!! I mean, I feel like I've been hit by a truck or something, achy, sneezy, dopey, I'm like the seven dwarfs when it comes to symptoms.

JASON KENDLER, MD: It's actually usually a cold. The complaints that we see in the office are runny nose, sore throat, swollen glands, low-grade temperatures and so forth. That generally means the common cold. But as Adam mentioned before, high fevers, bad muscle aches, cough, the feeling of having to lie in bed unable to get out of bed, that's more suggestive of influenza.

Dee, patient/suffer-er: maybe it's both, maybe I had a cold and a flu and they're fighting gang wars in my head. Out damn you! Out!! I'm starting to sound like a mental patient.

ADAM STRACHER, MD: For the most part, when you have the flu, you usually know it. You feel like you've been hit by a truck. You're incredibly sore, incredibly weak, a terrible fever, a terrible headache. You just feel really sick.

Dee, patient/suffer-er: Uh.. HELLO?! are you not listening to me? I just said that.

DAVID MARKS, MD: How long does it last?

ADAM STRACHER, MD: For the most part, three to five days in most people. But the fatigue, the sort of malaise feeling, can last for a couple of weeks, even in healthy people.

Dee, patient/suffer-er: that is totally unacceptable! I have a performance to go to tonight!? I need to be in tip top shape. or at least 80% better. You have 9 hours to fix this or there will be serious repercussions! This is NOT a Test!

The above was adapted from a transcript of Flu or Cold? an Access Atlanta production.