Don't believe that having the sniffles, a sore throat and a cough you just can't shake automatically means you've have the flu, because you might just have a common cold.

Before running out to get antibiotics and retiring to bed to sleep it off, here is what you need to know to differentiate between the two.

It's hard to tell the difference, said Christine Burke, director at the Center for Health and Wellness.

"They ultimately have the same symptoms. A cold is gradual and the flu hits out of the blue," she said.

A cold and the flu can differ based on their symptoms and how long a person has it, said Registered Nurse Charlotte Pufki, clinical leader at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene Clinic.

"The flu (also known as Influenza) has high fevers, muscle aches and vomiting. A cold may have a fever, a runny nose and a cough," she said. "A cold lasts about 10 days while the flu lasts a little longer."

People with the flu do not always have severe symptoms, said Registered Nurse Anne Nolan of Infection Control at Dartmouth-Hitchcock.

"Sometimes healthy people have the flu, but they think they have a cold," she said.

Both colds and the flu can be passed through droplet or indirect transmission, said Nolan.

"Droplet transmission is when someone sneezes and another person inhales the droplets from it. Indirect transmission is when someone coughs or sneezes on an object, then touches it and then another person touches that object," she said.

Being able to tell a cold from a flu will save time when treating your body. The flu can be treated with fluids, rest and antibiotics, said Burke.

The flu is preventative, especially if one gets the flu shot in the fall, said Pufki.

"If you do get it, take ibuprofen for the fever, drinks lots of liquids, rest and let it run its course," she said.

Advil and rest can treat both a cold and the Flu. Using cough etiquette is also beneficial like staying home when sick and washing your hands, said Nolan.

"Sometimes people go to the doctor and get Tamiflu. It doesn't cure it (the flu), but decreases the symptoms by 24 hours," she said.

Sophomore Jerel Lane said he had a borderline case of the flu as he had a temperature, but did not feel too bad.

He took care of it with plenty of sleep and drinking orange juice, he said.

The number of students who come down with the flu or cold and go to Health Services for treatment can vary, Burke said.