Sneezing? Itchy Eyes? Runny Nose? Is it a cold or allergies? The symptoms can be similar although they have entirely different causes. Colds are caused by viruses while allergies are the product of an overactive immune system responding to an allergen. Regardless of the origin, it's sometimes hard even for doctors to tell the difference between the two.
This time of year, ragweed is in full bloom in many areas of the country. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, up to 20 percent of Americans will begin to suffer from ragweed allergies (also called hay fever) when the plants release their pollen into the air. But kids are back in school, sharing their germs with each other and bringing them home. If you're sniffling and sneezing and aren't sure if it's a cold or allergies, checking your symptoms against the ones listed below may help you solve the mystery.
Allergies:
Symptoms occur all at once.
More likely during spring and fall when plants are pollinating
Symptoms disappear with the allergen. With a cat allergy, for instance, your symptoms disappear when you stay away from cats, but if you're allergic to ragweed your symptoms won't disappear until pollen season is over, which can last days or months.
Itchy eyes are much more common with allergies than with colds.
Thin, clear discharge from your nose.
Colds:
Symptoms occur one at a time first sneezing, then a runny nose.
Last from seven to 14 days.
More common during winter
Accompanied by aches and pains
Coughs and sore throats are more common with a cold than with allergies, according to WebMD.
Fevers aren't a common symptom of a cold, and they never accompany allergies, according to Mayo Clinic.
Yellow discharge from your nose (an indication of infection)
If you've diagnosed a cold, getting a lot of rest is the key, says WebMD. Turn off the alarm, drink lots of water, and relieve aches and pains with over-the-counter medications. If your throat is sore, gargle with salt water. Eat well, and use over-the-counter decongestants and cough medicines sparingly. When used for more than three to five days, decongestants can make a stuffy nose worse, and cough medicines interfere with the body's natural ability to remove mucous and germs from your throat.
If you have allergies, stay indoors (especially during peak pollen times between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.) and keep windows closed. Change air conditioning and furnace filters frequently (using high efficiency particulate air HEPA filters) and clean heating ducts before turning on the heat. To relieve congestion and swelling, take over-the-counter antihistamines and anti-inflammatory nose sprays or drops.
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