It’s Probably Allergies If:
Your mucus is clear or watery. And it will stay clear, instead of becoming thick or discolored like it can with a cold, says Michael Benninger, MD, an ear, nose, and throat specialist at the Cleveland Clinic.
Your eyes are itchy or watery. It’s rare to have itchy eyes when you have a cold.
Your symptoms stay the same. “Allergies may feel extra intense for the first day or 2, but you’ll have the same symptoms day after day,” Benninger says.
You’ve had the sniffles for more than a week. A cold usually clears up in 7 to 10 days, but allergies can last several weeks or longer.
Your symptoms show up only in certain situations. Find yourself sneezing every spring or fall? Those are common times for allergies. Another allergy tip-off: Being in a specific place makes you feel miserable — for example, in a house with a cat.
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.
Allergy Symptoms Typically Last Longer And Have A Pattern
If you have allergies, the symptoms will usually flare up at specific times of the year when allergens to which you are susceptible are prevalent. For instance, if you have an allergy to tree pollen, your allergy symptoms will manifest in early spring. This also indicates that your allergy symptoms may last for several days or weeks until the season ends.
On the other hand, viruses that cause the common cold are present throughout the year, so its possible to acquire a cold at any moment. However, the likelihood of becoming sick is highest during the winter season. And compared to allergies, the average duration of a cold is one week.
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Relief From Allergies And Troublesome Symptoms
Wouldn’t it be great to experience a life free of allergy symptoms? If you never had to debate if you have a cold or allergies? With Wyndly, you can! We offer personalized treatment plans that help allergy sufferers find the long-term relief they want and need.
If you’re interested in exploring your options, schedule an online allergy consultation with one of our specialists today! Well even send you a free at-home allergy test kit!
Exposure To Certain Substances Can Worsen Allergy Symptoms
Allergy symptoms typically get worse with more frequent exposure to the allergen, and they improve when exposure is reduced. For example, say a child has a dust mite allergy. They’ll likely experience sneezing and nasal congestion while inside their home, but the symptoms will improve after spending time in the backyard, says Dr. Jain. Because of this, allergy symptoms can be intermittent and may vary throughout the day and week.
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You Notice A Seasonal Pattern
If you’re the type of person who knows they get the same cold every March, it might be time to reconsider what the culprit actually is. “If you notice it’s seasonal like clockwork, and every spring or fall you get these symptoms, it might be allergy-related,” Dr. Parikh said.
That holds true even if your seasonal symptoms occur earlier than you might think of as allergy season, Dr. Rosenstreich said. “In the Northeast, for example, most people are not aware of the fact that the trees begin to pollinate even when there’s still snow on the ground. Depending on the weather, people can have allergy symptoms in February.”
Is It Cold Or Allergies Heres How To Tell Them Apart
The typical cold and allergies share symptoms such as sneezing, a runny nose, a cough, exhaustion, and headaches. Its conceivable that you have seasonal allergies if you experience abrupt onset cold symptoms around the same time every year. Although common cold and allergy symptoms may be similar, there are significant differences between the two conditions.
Seasonal allergies are immune system responses prompted by exposure to allergens like pollen or pet dander. On the other hand, the common cold is caused by a virus. However, if youre experiencing symptoms and are unsure if its a typical cold or allergies, its best to consult a specialist at urgent care in Fairfield, CT.
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How To Treat Colds Versus Allergies
If you have a cold, the best thing you can do is rest, drink plenty of fluids and treat your symptoms with over-the-counter medications until they subside. You should also stay away from others so they can keep from catching what you have. So, this is a perfect time to binge a show on Netflix.
If your cold isnt getting better after a few days, dont hesitate to reach out to your health care provider or find an urgent care to get your symptoms checked out by a professional. To find a Banner Health specialist near you, visit bannerhealth.com.
For allergies, drink plenty of fluids, take allergy medications to reduce symptoms and try to avoid the allergen in question, if possible.
If your allergy symptoms linger, talk to your health care provider about allergy testing to identify what allergies you may have and what treatment options may work best for you, Dr. Pero said.
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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Sneezing, coughing, postnasal drip… It’s not always easy to tell the difference between seasonal allergies and colds. “There is quite a bit of overlap in symptoms,” says Sanjeev Jain, M.D., a board-certified allergist and immunologist at Columbia Allergy. But learning to tell them apart is key for diagnosis and treatment, which can help your child feel better faster. Here, we break down the causes of allergies and colds in children, with tips for differentiating the symptoms.
Home Remedies For Allergy And Cold Symptoms
When you start to feel bad, some easy home cures can help. Get some rest as a first step. If you feel exhausted, respect your bodys signals and slow down exhaustion is a symptom of allergies and colds. In addition, gargle with warm water with salt to ease the discomfort of scratchy or irritated throats and congested nasal passages.
You can also utilize a neti pot to soothe your clogged nose. You can buy a neti pot at any local drugstore. It usually comes with packs of salt mixed with warm, clean water to make a solution that you flush into your nasal passages.
To soothe your sore throat, you can use a mixture of the half to a full teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of warm and clean water. Like you would with mouthwash, gargle for a few seconds. Then spit it out and do it again until there is no more solution. You may repeatedly do this daily until your sore throat is gone.
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Treatments For Allergic Rhinitis From A Gp
If pharmacy medicines do not help ease your allergic rhinitis symptoms, a GP may prescribe a different medicine, such as prescription steroid nasal sprays or antihistamines.
You may be referred to a specialist for further tests and treatment if it’s not clear what’s causing your symptoms or they’re severe.
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.
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Are There Cold Symptoms That Are Never Caused By Allergies
Yes! Check your temperature. While some colds never cause a fever, if you do have a high temperature, its definitely not allergies. Seasonal allergies dont cause fevers because your body isn’t fighting an actual infection, only over-reacting to a benign intruder.
If you have a fever, you’re dealing with a virus or infection rather than an allergy, so antihistamine medications don’t help. Cold medicines and anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and acetaminophen are your best bet. Also, it’s always a good idea to rest and avoid contact with others so you don’t spread the virus. Fevers almost always indicate that you’re contagious. When you’re sick, don’t go out and put others at risk. Stay home until symptoms are gone.
If your temperature is higher than 101 degrees and doesn’t go down, check with your doctor as soon as possible. A fever of 104 degrees or higher requires immediate emergency medical attention.
Wintery Mix Of Viruses
Winter is the prime cold and flu season. Youre more likely to be indoors and closer to others when its colder outside. Weather also plays a role in the spread of viruses.
Cold and flu viruses survive better and are more transmissible if its cooler and if theres lower humidity, Gordon explains.
Experts are concerned that flu and COVID-19 cases may increase and overlap in the winter. Flu cases usually start to increase around October and peak between December and February. Being infected with flu and SARS-CoV-2 at the same time is possible, as is showing symptoms of both.
If youre sick with the flu, your doctor may prescribe antiviral drugs. Such drugs can make your flu milder and shorten the time you are sick. They work best if theyre used early in your illness.
The FDA has also approved one antiviral drug, called remdesivir, to treat COVID-19. Other treatments are in development and under review. No complementary approaches have been shown to be helpful for fighting off flu or COVID-19.
Fortunately, strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19 also prevent the spread of flu and cold. Measures like masking and social distancing work for other respiratory viruses, as well as COVID-19, says Dr. Chip Walter, who studies vaccine development at Duke University.
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Flu Symptoms And Treatment
Like the common cold, the flu is a common respiratory illness that is caused by a virus.
The symptoms of the flu come on quickly and are more intense than those of the common cold. Symptoms of the flu are like those that accompany a cold such as coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and sore throat, but also may include:
- fatigue and weakness
- chest discomfort
In most cases, treatment for the flu is similar to the common cold, including rest and plenty of fluids, and over-the-counter medications that can help reduce your symptoms. However, individuals who experience what are known as emergency symptoms of flu should seek immediate medical attention. You can learn more here.
Do You Have A Cold Or Allergies How To Differentiate Between Symptoms
Excessive sneezing and a congested or runny nose are common symptoms of allergies and colds. In addition, you might also experience fatigue and drowsiness. Nevertheless, a few other symptoms arent commonly shared by those experiencing both allergies and the common cold. You can tell the difference between a cold and allergies by looking for these telltale signs:
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How To Tell If It’s A Cold Or Flu
You usually notice it as you pour your morning coffee. The guy in the next cubicle or office doesn’t sound so good. He’s coughing and sniffling as he types away, hoping you won’t notice. You ask him if he’s doing okay, even though you know what he’s going to say.
“I’m great. It’s just allergies,” he says with a hoarse voice in between coughing fits. But you already know: He probably has a cold or flu.
Those “allergies” turn out to be the flu, and before you know it, you’re burning four sick days because Larry refused to go to the doctor. Don’t be that guy.
I asked Dr. Natalie Dryden, primary care physician at Houston Methodist, for advice on how to distinguish between a cold or flu and allergies and when you really need to see a doctor.
“Distinguishing between allergies and a cold or flu isn’t always easy,” says Dr. Dryden. “While colds and the flu are infectious illnesses caused by viruses. and allergies are an immune response to some environmental trigger, the body often has overlapping and similar responses, so symptoms can be similar as well.”
Taking The Right Medication For The Right Illness
The best thing to do for cold or sinus symptoms during the first seven to 10 days is to treat the symptoms, not the illness. You can do this with medications such as:
Cold viruses dont respond to antibiotics, so taking them during the first seven days probably wont help. In fact, taking antibiotics when theyre not needed can increase your risk for being infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, or other serious antibiotic related problems.
After seven to 10 days, when the symptoms are more likely to indicate a sinus infection, it may be time to ask your doctor about antibiotics. However, sinus infections can and do sometimes go away on their own, just like colds. Ask your doctor if you need an antibiotic or if the infection is likely to go away on its own without medication.
If your symptoms point to allergies, many effective medications are available over the counter to control symptoms, such as antihistamines and nasal steroid sprays. These medications work on all sorts of allergies because they suppress the bodys reactions to allergens, rather than treating the specific allergen. Some antihistamines can cause drowsiness, however, so be cautious of that when taking them. They also do not help stuffiness or pressure symptoms, so adding a decongestant plus a pain reliever as needed can help you ride it out.
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Signs That Can Help You Decide If It’s A Cold Or Flu
1. Fever. The flu generally causes high fever fairly consistently, while viral colds don’t often cause fever. And if they do, it’s generally a low-grade fever. Allergies should never cause fever.
2. Body aches. Aches and pains tend to be very pronounced with the flu and while they can occur with a common cold, they’re typically mild. Body aches are not common with allergies.
3. Cough. A flu cough tends to be more severe than the type of cough that accompanies a cold. Like a fever and body aches, a cough is much less common with allergies.
4. Runny nose. Nasal drainage can occur during a cold or flu, as well as with allergies.
5. Sore throat. Throat irritation and pain is common with colds and flu. Typically, people with allergies report having an itchy throat and not actual pain.
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.”
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