Is there a way to tell from my symptoms whether I have swine
flu, regular flu, a cold, or allergies?  The answer is probably
yes. Let’s go through the symptoms of each of these illnesses
separately first, then compare them.  Swine flu, or the H1N1
strain of influenza, is a new virus that appears to have arisen
through some intermixing of the influenza viruses normally found
in humans, pigs, and birds. It causes symptoms similar to the
standard seasonal flu, including the sudden appearance of fever
(anything above 100 F, in this case), cough, and sore throat.
Some people also get a runny or stuffy nose, fatigue, body
aches, headache, and joint and muscle aches. People can get
diarrhea and vomiting with swine flu, which are symptoms that
are unusual with regular seasonal flu.  The symptoms of swine
flu can be different in young children and frail older adults,
and flu of any sort can be hard to recognize when it affects the
very young or old. Small children may just seem sick and out of
sorts, with fast breathi