The Difference Between Allergies & Colds:
When you have a bacterial or viral infection, your body will trigger an immune response. Chemicals called pyrogens, which are produced by white blood cells, cause the temperature in the body to rise. This is a normal inflammatory response that helps to kill off heat-sensitive bacteria.
Allergens, on the other hand, set off no such reaction. During an allergic reaction, your body releases histamines, which make you sneeze and cough. Histamines are only released during allergic reactions, which is why you shouldnt take anti-histamine medication for the common cold or flu.
Gluten And Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to attack connective tissue, including cartilage and the lining of blood vessels. Since it can affect multiple organs and systems in the body, symptoms are widespread and may be unique to each individual. However, fatigue, muscle weakness, and muscle and joint pain are common manifestations.
Similar to rheumatoid arthritis, SLE is associated with celiac disease. Likely caused by inflammation and an overactive immune system.
One hospital 5 cases in a period of 4 years. The onset of SLE and celiac disease occurred at the same time with one patient. Celiac disease occurred before SLE with another patient. And SLE occurred before celiac disease with the remaining 3 cases. Only three of the five patients experienced abdominal symptoms. However, all five patients responded favorably to a gluten-free diet.
This study set out to determine the risk of patients with biopsy-confirmed cases of celiac disease developing SLE. They concluded those with celiac disease were 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with SLE than the general population. However, since celiac disease only affects 1 2% of the population, the chance of someone with celiac disease developing SLE was relatively low .
Interestingly, there have also been that were falsely diagnosed with SLE and later correctly diagnosed with gluten sensitivity.
How Long Have The Symptoms Lasted
Colds tend to go away in 2 weeks or less. Allergies stick around longer. âItâs not going to be 3 days and youâre done,â McMorris says.
Nasal allergies can hang around for much of the year, especially in the plant-growing months, if youâre allergic to some kind of pollen.
Your child could also be allergic to something thatâs indoors, such as dust mites, pet dander, indoor mold, or cockroaches. Those are year-round triggers.
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Can Allergies Cause Fatigue & A Low Grade Fever
Whether it is spring or fall, if you suffer from allergies, you run the risk of becoming sick. For some sufferers, allergies cause nasal congestion, headache and cough 1. For others, if their bodies react strongly enough, their symptoms may include a low-grade fever and fatigue. It is important to know how to treat your symptoms so you begin feeling healthy again.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
How Old Is Your Child
Most people’s asthma starts by age 6, says Fernando Martinez, MD, a pediatric pulmonologist who leads the University of Arizonaâs Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center.
âIt is rare you will develop asthma . Nothing is impossible, but itâs much more unlikely,â he says.
You can get allergies at any point in your life. But outdoor allergies tend to arrive between ages 4 and 6, McMorris says. Indoor allergies can start as early as age 3, but not always. For instance, âa child can take a while to develop allergies to a pet,â he says.
It may be time for an allergy test if the symptoms seem to be worse when your kid is at home and you have a furry pet.
Also, does your child have eczema? This itchy skin condition often goes hand in hand with allergies. And if your child has eczema and allergies, and they are younger than 6, âthereâs a high probabilityâ they will get asthma, Martinez says.
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What Is The Outlook For People Who Have Hay Fever
Hay fever can make you feel miserable, but it doesnt cause serious health problems. Most people with hay fever manage symptoms with lifestyle changes and over-the-counter medication.
People with airborne allergies have a higher risk of ear infections and sinus infections. Because hay fever can make it tough to get a good nights sleep, you may feel tired during the day. If you have asthma, hay fever can make your asthma symptoms worse.
Are You Experiencing Allergies Or A Cold
Edward T. Mezic, M.D. contributes to topics such as Pulmonary Medicine.
Kimberly Cai, M.D. contributes to topics such as Internal Medicine.
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Sometimes adults can develop respiratory allergies, even if they have never had them before. Allergies develop if the immune system becomes sensitized to certain triggers, such as pollen, pet dander, dust mites or mold spores, and mounts a defense to those triggers. The symptoms you experience are signs of that defensive action.
A runny nose and fatigue can be signs of seasonal allergies, but those symptoms could also be caused by a cold virus, says Kimberly Cai, M.D., an internal medicine physician at Hackensack Meridian Health Medical Group. But there are some important differences between cold and allergy symptoms. Check the list below to see if your symptoms point to an allergy or a cold:
Allergy Symptoms
- Duration: three to seven days
If you suspect allergies, there are ways to fight the symptoms.
Avoid allergens. It is difficult to completely avoid airborne allergens like pollen and mold spores, but keeping windows closed during the worst part of the season can help. If you are sensitive to pet dander or dust mites, frequently vacuum rugs and wash bed linens. You might also need to vacuum other fabrics like drapes and throw pillows, and use a dust-trapping cloth or tool on window blinds and hard surfaces on a regular basis.
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When Should I Seek Treatment For My Toddler
If you suspect your toddler has a cold, the vast majority of the time you can manage the symptoms at home while your childs cold resolves. Make an appointment to see our team at Valencia Pediatrics if your young childs condition doesnt improve after a couple of weeks or if your toddler develops a high fever.
If you think your toddler might have allergies, its important to make an appointment with Dr. Valencia. Allergy treatment from a pediatrician will allow your child to manage potentially life-disrupting and life-threatening symptoms.
At your appointment, Dr. Valencia performs allergy testing to determine what materials are causing your childs allergies if you arent certain. Then, Dr. Valencia develops a personalized plan to manage your toddlers allergies.
Dr. Valencia, with Micaela Marin-Tucker, PA-C and Megan Reynolds, C-PNP, offers specialized allergy treatment along with general pediatric care to children and adolescents. our office today to schedule allergy testing and management for your child.
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Do You Have A Cold Or Allergies
WebMD Feature
Do you know how to tell the difference between a cold and allergies? Are you sure?
It’s easy to get them confused. Just ask Paul Ehrlich, MD, a professor of pediatrics at New York University. He’d been an allergist for years when he came down with what he thought was a cold. “I’d had a watery, runny nose for several days when one of my patients took a look at me and said, ‘Oh, you have allergies, too!'” Ehrlich says.
He’d never had allergies before, but a checkup with another doctor confirmed that the patient was right. “Turns out I was allergic to birch trees, which were in bloom at the time,” he says.
A cold is an infection caused by a virus. Allergies are your immune system’s reaction to a substance like pollen or pet dander. Because the two conditions cause similar symptoms, like sniffles and stuffiness, many people get them mixed up. Knowing which is which can help you get the right treatment, and that will help you feel better faster.
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Better Safe Than Sorry
At the end of the day, if you are unsure about your symptoms, then you should err on the side of caution.
If you aren’t feeling well, stay indoors and contact your health care provider. This is the best way to ensure that you aren’t contributing to the spread of coronavirus. You may also call the UMMS to discuss your symptoms. Only people with symptoms can get a doctor’s order to .
Even if you don’t have symptoms or your doctor confirms that you have allergies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing a to slow the spread of the disease.
UMMS provides our expert-reviewed content to keep our community informed. When sharing this copyrighted content, please link to our site so that critical updates are reflected.
In This Section:
Despite Symptoms Its Not The Flu
COVID-19 is not the flu.
As one of a class of pathogens known as coronaviruses, its actually more closely related to the common cold than the seasonal flu.
However, despite some overlap, the typical symptoms of COVID-19 are more similar to the flu than the common cold .
The new delta variant of COVID-19, however, may have more cold-like symptoms.
In terms of differentiating between flu and COVID-19, it can be almost impossible to distinguish, Dr. Jake Deutsch, co-founder and clinical director of Cure Urgent Care centers and Specialty Infusion in New York. Thats why people are recommended to have flu vaccinations so it can at least minimize the risk of flu in light of everything else.
Fevers, body aches, coughing, sneezing could all be equally attributed to them both, so it really means that if theres a concern for flu, theres a concern for COVID-19, Deutsch said.
If you have a mild case of COVID-19, the flu, or a cold, treatment is geared toward management of symptoms, said Cutler.
Generally, acetaminophen is recommended for fevers, he said. Cough drops and cough syrups can also help keep mucus secretions thinner. If there is associated nasal congestion, antihistamines may be useful.
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Other Autoimmune Arthritic Conditions
There are several other pain-causing autoimmune conditions associated with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, which include scleroderma, migratory arthritis, reactive arthritis, dermatomyositis, and ankylosing spondylitis among others.
For example, in this study, researchers found 83% of patients with celiac disease had symptoms associated with scleroderma. Symptoms were also statistically more severe in those with gluten sensitivity. Plus, patients reported an improvement in muscle pain soon after a gluten-free diet was implemented.
Are You Dealing With A Cold Or Allergies
A big question weâre always asked is âHow do I know if I have a cold or allergiesâ? This can be a difficult question to determine, but there are some simple ways to try and figure it out.
Fever/Raised Temperature
Check your temperature. If youâre noticing your body temperature isnât at the normal 98.6 degrees , youâre probably experiencing a cold or flu. Itâs a misconception that allergies will raise your temperature significantly, especially with the term âcedar feverâ being used so much in Texas. The definition of a fever is 100.4. So if you have a temperature over 100, this is typically a cold/infection.
Itchy, watery or red eyes
These are one of the biggest signs of suffering from allergies. A cold can cause watery, red, and irritated eyes, but if theyâre very itchy, this is likely allergies.
Symptoms lasting longer than 10 days
Rarely will a cold last longer than 10 days. Cold symptoms can linger, but should be improving significantly. Cold symptoms will usually come fast and leave fast. Allergies will affect you as long as the season lasts. If youâre also feeling sick at certain times of the year, youâre probably being affected by allergies.
Aches and pains
Allergies do not cause as severe of body aches and pains like a cold can. If youâre feeling discomfort in your muscles and joints, then youâre most likely suffering from a cold. Allergies can definitely make you feel tired, and mildly achy, but not usually as severe as colds can.
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Ones Riskier Than The Other
While people can die from allergies, usually they involve allergies to certain foods , medications , or materials . Allergic rhinitis , while uncomfortable, is not fatal, Dr. Ditto says. But some of the complications of allergies, such as asthma, can be.
According to the CDC, most cases of this new coronavirus are mild, but cases can turn severe, especially if youre elderly or have other health issues like diabetes or heart disease.Other things to note:
- The incubation period of COVID-19 is two to 14 days after exposure to the virus.
- Experts arent sure exactly how contagious the virus is because theres still much to learn about it. But because its a new virus that people dont have prior exposure to, it has the ability to spread widely.
- Interestingly, the number of people suffering from seasonal allergies also seem to be on the upswing, due, at least in part, say experts at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology , to climate change.
Quick Read Sneezing Season Has Begun
- Seasonal allergies involve sneezing, post-nasal drip and itchy, watery eyes.
- COVID-19 symptoms are different: fever, new cough and new shortness of breath.
- Cold symptoms can seem like seasonal allergy symptoms.
- Flu symptoms usually involve fever, chills, and body aches, however.
- Seasonal allergies can be caused by tree, grass or weed pollen.
- They can worsen over time, and you can get new allergies as an adult.
- To lessen symptoms, take non-drowsy antihistamines and use medicated nasal spray.
- If your symptoms get worse, ask about getting allergy shots.
Now that the COVID-19 outbreak is overlapping with spring allergy season, those sniffles or that cough you normally would have dismissed are suddenly more concerning.
Do your symptoms just mean your seasonal allergies are back? Maybe you have a cold or the flu? Or is it possible you caught the new coronavirus?
Read on to learn the differences between them and what you can do to ease your symptoms.
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Fever As A Secondary Symptom Of Allergy
When you have a fever along with your allergies it is the sign that something else is going on. The allergic reaction may have produced sinusitis. This is an infection of the sinus cavities and can happen when untreated allergies cause inflammation that prevents the sinuses from draining properly.
The fever you experience isnt because of the allergic reaction. It is because the allergic reaction has resulted in an infection. You may be able to clear the infection with antibiotics, but if the allergies arent treated the infection can return and bring a fever with it.
If your allergies cause inflammation that results in fluid in the ear, you can get an ear infection. In this instance, the fever is a result of the infection of the ear. Its not the allergic reaction that caused the fever its the infection that was caused by the allergic reaction.
Fever From Allergies: Allergy
A challenging diagnostic for your doctor
For most people, fever is not a symptom that is immediately associated with allergies, although your doctor could probably tell you that many allergy sufferers also complain from long-lasting low-grade fever. There is some evidence to support the idea that allergies can predispose a person to developing infections, which would explain the high temperature, but allergy-induced fever is very difficult to diagnose correctly. Furthermore, no studies to date have assessed the prevalence of this condition or what factors, such as age or type of allergy, are most likely to cause it.
Low-grade fever as a secondary infection
When you come into contact with the substance that triggers your allergy, immediately your start feeling symptoms coming on. It probably starts with nasal congestion and runny and itchy nose. Then comes the sneezing and your eyes start to water an itch. By this stage, your body has declared war on the intruder and an immune response is in full swing. As mucus production increases, consequence of histamine release, your air ways become blocked and inflamed, which is the stimulus to start coughing.
No wonder, after all this, that you feel exhausted and with a headache. This is a common symptom caused by the swollen sinuses, placing excessive pressure on the head .
How to treat the allergy and the infection?
Contact dermatitis can also cause fever
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Are The Symptoms Of Allergy And Flu Same Or Do They Have Some Differences
Headache, muscle aches, loss of energy, abdominal cramps and upset stomach are all symptoms of fever and flu however, sometimes, they also indicate an allergy known as Allergic Rhinitis. Most of the people experience flu not more than twice or thrice a year, but if you are encountering these symptoms frequently, then chances are high that you might be suffering from allergy. Let us now look into different ailments and what their symptoms generally indicate an allergy or just flu?
Fever: Fever is a common symptom of influenza and usually is sudden in onset. The temperature generally ranges between 102-106 degrees Fahrenheit. Often adults run low temperature than children. Body aches is another symptom that accompanies flu.
However, the major difference here is that the fever which is associated with allergy doesnt have that sudden onset and the body`s temperature seldom rises in allergy fever unlike seen in flu.
Nausea & Vomiting: These are the common symptoms of food allergies which often leads to some gastrointestinal symptoms. Food allergies to certain food items like dairy products, eggs, wheat etc. leads to symptoms like nausea and vomiting. Diarrhea is another symptom that only crops up with allergy and not flu.
If you are experiencing these symptoms regularly when exposed to certain food items, then its probably allergy to some type of food.
