We have all experienced this: you wake up sneezing, coughing and with a sore throat.

Then someone asks you why you look so miserable, and chances are you will answer that you have flu.

With the winter season upon us, the flu virus is in the air but, according to the doctors we spoke to, many people mistake the common cold for flu. We bring you all the information explaining flu versus the common cold, and the myths and facts, by looking into some of the remedies we tend to use in winter.

Dr Gail Leong, a general practitioner in Kensington, Johannesburg, tells us about the main difference between a common cold and the influenza virus. "Common colds and the flu have similar symptoms, the difference is the intensity and how long what you have lasts .

"First, a common cold is a minor respiratory illness and bound to last for a few days, with symptoms that begin with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose and a mild cough.

"Flu on the other hand is a virus and is much worse than the common cold. Intense fever, body aches, tiredness and an intense cough can be associated with flu."

Leong says most people do not know this, but flu has no cure.

"There is no magic pill that will make the flu go away faster. The medications many people take will make them feel better and fight the symptoms, but will not necessarily cure them of flu," she says.

So, once you have determined that you have the common cold, chances are that you will reach into your cupboard and look for a remedy. But how effective are the home remedies we all grew up using?

Soweto-based general practitioner Dr Bongani Mahlangu helps dispel some of the myths around the common cold and flu, and the unconventional home remedies we have been known to use:

l Pile on layers of warm clothes to avoid getting flu.

Doctor's Verdict: Myth

"If you have not been exposed to the virus, dressing warmly will not make much of a difference," he says.

Mahlangu does say, however, that being cold may make one vulnerable to the common cold virus.

"When your body is freezing, the immune system may be weakened, making you vulnerable to the common cold," he says.

l "You should always wear a hat during winter to avoid getting a cold?"

Doctor's Verdict: Myth

"While it is true that you lose a percentage of heat through your head, the truth is you'll lose body heat from any part of your body that is exposed. It depends on how much cold you are exposed to, but there's no direct link with your head being exposed and catching the common cold," he says.lDrinking a mixture of hot ginger beer and aspirin will cure a cold.

Doctor's Verdict: Maybe

"What many people are actually looking for in the ginger beer is the ginger aspect of it, because ginger has been known to relieve coughs and strengthen the immune system.

"So there's nothing particularly special about the ginger beer being hot or the drink itself.

"Aspirin can relieve pain associated with headaches and fever.

"The combination of the two is good, but the same effect can also be achieved with warm water, ginger and aspirin," he says.

l Steaming your face will get rid of flu.

Doctor's Verdict: False

"Placing your face over a small bowl and covering yourself will not rid you of flu. It can open your blocked nasal passages, offering you relief. But this will not cure you, period," he says.lRubbing menthol on your chest and back will alleviate the common cold.

Doctor's Verdict: False

"Menthol, which has healing properties, provides only temporary relief - that warm, soothing feeling.

"But other than that, I would not recommend doing this as a viable remedy," he says.