How You Can Tell The Difference Between Cold And Seasonal Allergy Symptoms
With both allergies and colds, its typical to have congestion or a runny nose, and to sneeze often. You may also feel tired and drowsy. But there are several other symptoms that dont often overlap between allergies and a cold. Here are some of the telltale differences between cold symptoms and allergy symptoms.
How To Know For Sure If Its A Cold Or Allergies
There are no tests necessary for the common cold. If you cant diagnose a cold yourself, Dr. Lee can help you come to the right conclusion and make sure you have what you need to reduce your symptoms until your cold goes away.
Meanwhile, you can treat the cold symptoms you have with over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, tea with honey for a sore throat, and staying well hydrated and well rested.
If you have symptoms of allergies, Dr. Lee can perform a series of skin tests to identify the precise allergen. Once we find the culprit, Dr. Lee develops an immunotherapy treatment to help build your bodys resistance to the allergens so you can eventually overcome your allergies.
Whether you have a cold, allergies, or any other health concerns, you can count on Dr. Lee and our team here at Woodstock Family Practice & Urgent Care to provide you with a quick and accurate diagnosis so you can get healthy and stay healthy.
Our Allergists Can Provide Sinus Treatments That Work
AtCenter for Allergy and Asthma of Georgia, our Atlanta allergists are experienced in helping patients suffering from nasal congestion, chronic cough, nasal discharge, and facial pressure. Many of our patients who suffer from serious allergies, which trigger sinus infections,undergo allergy immunotherapy, which has been found to reduce a patients number of infections by up to 90%.
For more information about allergy symptoms or chronic sinus infections, get in touch withour team at Center for Allergy and Asthma of Georgia right away. We offer complete allergy evaluations to determine which methods can help patients breathe easier in the quickest amount of time possible.
To speak with an Atlanta allergist, or fill out a free form online. We have offices in various areas to best serve your needs!
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How To Avoid A Summer Cold
There are several measures you can take to reduce the likelihood of getting a cold in the summer:
Wash your hands and limit your exposure to sick people Colds can be transmitted from person to person and sometimes from touching contaminated surfaces with the virus.
Boost your immune system Get plenty of sleep, eat healthy, stay hydrated, and avoid excessive activity or stress. These are all ways to make sure your immune system is functioning at its best in the event it must fight off a summer cold virus.
Tips For Helping To Prevent Colds And Seasonal Allergies
To help prevent colds:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Try not to touch your eyes, nose, and mouthespecially if your hands are unwashed.
- Stay away from people who have a cold.
To help prevent seasonal allergies:
- Limit your exposure to environmental allergens and triggers .
- Keep your doors and windows closed if possible. Use air conditioning to stay comfortable.
- Stay indoors when pollen and mold counts are high.
- If you go outdoors, shower and change your clothes when you return indoors.
- Avoid mowing the lawn or raking leaves. These activities can stir up pollen and mold.
Be sure to talk with your healthcare provider to find out whether your symptoms are caused by the common cold or seasonal allergies.
Dipali Davé, MD, MHA, is a physician and the Assistant Editor and Medical Researcher for Pfizers Get Healthy Stay Healthy website.
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How To Treat Colds Vs Allergies
Since the symptoms of colds and allergies are similar, so will their treatments. “For most run-of-the-mill allergy or cold symptoms, the treatments are about the same, so it really doesn’t matter too much if you try to tell them apart,” Dr. Rosenstreich said.
The main difference is that allergies won’t affect others. “With a cold, you probably don’t want to go into work and make everyone else sick, whereas with allergies, people will just tell you not to come near them, but you’re not actually contagious,” Dr. Rosenstreich explained.
Both allergy and cold treatments are what’s called symptomatic, Dr. Rosenstreich added, meaning they won’t make the issue go away. They’ll only treat the symptoms that are making you miserable. Experts typically recommend over-the-counter oral decongestants and antihistamines as well as nasal sprays to reduce inflammation and congestion in both cases, Dr. Parikh said.
If you’ve got a coldor another virusthat’s causing body aches or a fever, you might also want to try something to ease the pain and lower your temperature, like acetaminophen or aspirin, Dr. Metcalfe added.
While getting plenty of rest can help you get over a cold, it won’t do much for allergies. However, be sure to drink plenty of fluids, no matter your issue. “Dehydration makes allergies and colds worse,” Dr. Parikh said. “Fluids help relieve congestion.”
Can Allergies Cause Headaches And Body Aches
Seasonal allergies put extra stress on the body which can make chronic pain symptoms feel more intense. It can also affect your immune systemand in turncause inflammation in your joints leading to pain. Allergies are a big producer of body aches. Constant coughing and sneezing leads to headaches, neck and back pain.
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Could It Be Covid
Before we get into the differences between colds and allergies, lets address the most pressing concern of the moment COVID-19. The main symptoms associated with the novel coronavirus behind COVID-19 are cough, fever, and shortness of breath. Shortness of breath is not common in a cold nor a bout of allergies.
COVID-19 may also be accompanied by nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of taste or smell. None of these are typical signs of allergies and colds.
If you do have these COVID-19 symptoms, call us dont come into the office just yet and let us instruct you on the best course of care.
Do You Have A Cold The Flu Or Allergies
The above table details the symptom differences between all three conditions.
The common symptoms of a cold, flu and allergies are a stuffy or a runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat, a cough, a headache, or even fatigue. Two differing symptoms are a fever or aches/pain, these would not be caused by allergies, but could be due to a cold or the flu. Symptoms of the flu are often more severe than a cold.
While the symptoms are similar, the origin of the conditions are different. A cold and the flu are both caused by different viruses, whereas allergies are caused by your immune system reacting to a trigger. Common inhalant allergy triggers are pollen, dust, mold, pet dander.
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What Are Colds And Allergies
They have different causes. You get a cold when a tiny living thing called a virus gets into your body. There are hundreds of different types that can get you sick.
Once a cold virus gets inside you, your immune system, the body’s defense against germs, launches a counter-attack. It’s this response that brings on the classic symptoms like a cough or stuffed up nose.
The viruses that cause colds are contagious. You can pick them up when someone who’s infected sneezes, coughs, or shakes hands with you. After a couple of weeks, at the most, your immune system fights off the illness and you should stop having symptoms.
It’s a different story with allergies. They’re caused by an overactive immune system. For some reason, your body mistakes harmless things, such as dust or pollen, for germs and mounts an attack on them.
When that happens, your body releases chemicals such as histamine, just as it does when fighting a cold. This can cause a swelling in the passageways of your nose, and you’ll start sneezing and coughing.
Unlike colds, allergies aren’t contagious, though some people may inherit a tendency to get them.
Are There Tests To Diagnose The Cause Of An Allergy Cough
Testing by a specialist known as an allergist may be recommended if allergy symptoms are severe and/or are interfering with your quality of life.
The aim of the testing is to determine which allergens you are hypersensitive to. In some cases, allergy shots may be given to gradually desensitize you to those allergens.
The two tests commonly used to diagnose allergies include:
- Skin prick test: This involves the insertion of tiny amounts of suspected allergens beneath the skin to see if a reaction occurs.
- Blood tests: These are IgE-specific tests, also known as RAST testing, that can detect antibodies associated with certain allergens.
An allergist can also help determine if your cough is related to allergic rhinitis or asthma. Identifying the underlying cause is crucial as each of these two conditions is treated differently.
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How To Avoid Summer Allergies
Minimizing or eliminating exposure to the things that make you have allergic reactions is the best way to avoid an allergy. Checking pollen and mold spore counts before leaving the house is one step you can take to minimize exposure. Read our pages on nasal allergies and eye allergies to learn more.
Why Do We Cough
Coughing is basically a response to irritation in your throat or airways. When you feel this irritation your receptors of the trachea, throat, and lungs quickly alert the cough center of your brain. Coughing is a defense mechanism against anything it might think has gotten stuck in your throat, trachea, or lungs. Things like pollen, mucus so can make way for air to easily travel through.
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What Causes A Cold Or An Allergy
Cold
Cold, also called the common cold is caused by microscopic organisms called the viruses which enter your body. These viruses which cause cold are of several hundred types which can make you fall sick. These viruses are contagious, and you can pick them up from the infected person when you shake hands with them, or you may breathe in the germs when they cough or sneeze.
When the virus invades your body, your immune system recognizes it to be a foreign intruder and relaxes the blood vessels increasing the mucus secretion to trap the viruses which cause the symptoms of a cold.
Allergies
The story is different for allergies. An over-reactive immune system is the main reason for allergic reactions. The body mistakes harmless substances such as pollen grains, dust, molds, animal dander, etc. as dangerous invaders. This results in the release of histamines by the immune cells leading to symptoms such as an itchy and runny nose or eyes, sneezing, rashes and hives, inflammation of lungs, eyes, and skin. Severe allergic reactions also can occur in a few people which need immediate medical intervention. Book an appointment at our best multispeciality hospital.
If you have a sudden cold that occurs at the same time every year, then it could be possibly a seasonal allergy.
Allergies are not contagious like a cold. However, they can be inherited through genes, increasing the risk of allergic reactions in the offsprings.
How Are Seasonal Allergies Diagnosed
Talk with your doctor if you think your child might have seasonal allergies. The doctor will ask if the same symptoms happen at the same time each year after your child is around an allergen, and do an exam. The doctor may be able to make a diagnosis, or might refer you to an allergy doctor for allergy skin testing or a blood test.
To find which allergens cause a person’s symptoms, allergists usually do skin testing. During skin prick testing, an allergist or nurse puts a tiny bit of a liquid containing an allergen into the skin by making a small scratch or prick on the skin. They usually do skin testing on a person’s forearm or back. The allergist then waits 15 minutes or so to see if a red, raised bump, called a wheal, forms. If it does, there might be an allergy. The allergist uses a ruler to measure the wheal and the redness around it.
Even if a skin test or a blood test shows an allergy, a child must also have symptoms to be diagnosed with an allergy for sure. For example, a child who has a positive test for grass pollen and sneezes a lot while playing in the grass would be considered allergic to grass pollen.
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How To Tell The Difference
Asking certain questions can help someone determine whether symptoms are due to an allergy or a cold:
- How quickly did symptoms appear? Symptoms tend to come on gradually over a day or two when a cold is the cause. When symptoms come on suddenly out of nowhere, they are more likely to be caused by an allergy.
- How long have symptoms been present? Symptoms of a cold tend to taper off after a week or two. Allergy symptoms may last while exposure to the triggering allergen is still in the air.
- Do symptoms occur at predictable times? If symptoms tend to occur at the same time every year, they can be due to seasonal allergies.
- Do symptoms include itchy or watery eyes or eczema? Certain symptoms tend to occur more frequently with allergies as opposed to colds.
Sorting Out Your Cold And Allergy Symptoms
The reason people have such a hard time telling the difference between colds and allergies is the number of overlapping symptoms. Colds come and go, but if your cold symptoms are actually allergies, you can take steps to overcome them. With a little information, learn to decipher the signs and get the right treatment.
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Start With Some Home Remedies For Cold And Allergy Symptoms
When you start feeling icky, some simple home remedies can provide temporary relief. For starters, try to get more rest. Both allergies and colds can cause tiredness, so listen to your body and take it easy.
Also, take advantage of saltwater to soothe irritated nasal passages and scratchy or sore throats.
For your nose, use a neti pot. A neti pot can be picked up at any local drugstore or online, and typically comes with packets to mix with warm, distilled water to create a saltwater solution to pour through your nasal passages.
For your throat, simply mix a quarter or half teaspoon of table salt into an 8-ounce glass of warm water. Take a sip and gargle for a few seconds like you would with mouthwash. Then spit and repeat until the solution is gone. You can do this a couple times a day.
How Is It Diagnosed
See your doctor if youre experiencing what appears to be cold urticaria with exposure to the cold for the first time.
This will allow your doctor to diagnose your symptoms. There are some conditions that have similar symptoms. Its important to rule those out.
Seek medical care immediately if your symptoms are severe.
During your doctors visit, be prepared to discuss your symptoms and health history. Your doctor will also do a physical exam.
They may also perform an ice cube challenge test to observe your bodys reaction to cold temperatures.
During this test, the doctor will apply an ice cube in a plastic bag to your body for a few minutes and then see if hives or other symptoms occur.
Your skin may not immediately react to this test if you inherited the condition. Symptoms of inherited CU may take at least 20 or even 30 minutes to appear.
Your doctor may also order blood tests to determine or rule out underlying causes of your symptoms.
A proper diagnosis for CU is necessary because other conditions may cause similar symptoms.
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Cold Vs Allergies: Common Symptoms
Now that you know the three main differences, it’s time to look at the commonalities between the common cold and allergies. These symptoms include:
- A runny nose, nasal congestion, or nasal discharge
- Shortness of breath
These symptoms all link to colds and allergies, but they can present differently depending on their cause. For example, a persistent cough is not usually an indication of allergies. While allergies can cause you to wheeze, the condition is typically more intermittent than constant. If you’re coughing a lot, your respiratory system may have an infection. Get some rest, drink lots of water, and take decongestants while your immune system fights to restore your health.
Here’s one thing you can do at home to tell the difference between a cold and allergies:
- Check your mucus. While it may be unpleasant to blow your nose or cough into a tissue and then examine what came out, it can give you some insight. Allergies typically produce clear mucus, as allergens irritate the nose and throat without causing infection. A cold causes mucus to thicken and turn yellow or green as your body fights the infection. If the mucus is clear, an over-the-counter nasal spray or nasal steroid spray can help.
If you’re still unsure, and if symptoms get worse or don’t improve in five days, see your healthcare provider for further testing.
Dust Allergies And Coughing
Now that weve established why do we actually cough, its easier to judge whether we can cough during allergies or not. Its pretty easy to understand that if our body is constantly coughing then theres definitely something wrong with our throat or lungs. Its the first red sign. However, if we talk about allergies then yes allergies can cause coughing. Our immune system is basically using coughing as a defensive action against anything that might have wandered into our bodies. People who have dust allergies are usually the ones who start coughing when they get an allergic attack. Meaning if your body inhales pollen or dust particles, it would rebel against it by coughing it all out.
While all of this is happening your body will release chemicals like histamine that would produce cold-like symptoms such as a stuffed or runny nose, sore throat, etc.
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