Had a sniffly nose lately? Cold and flu season is definitely here, but don’t discount the possibility that you could be plagued by allergies. Winter doesn’t always bring the end of allergy season; indoor allergens like mold and dust become much more prominent in the cold months. Here’s how you can find out whether it’s allergies or a cold causing your symptoms.
The Symptoms
First, let’s discuss what allergies and colds are and what their symptoms are.
Allergies
An allergic reaction occurs when your immune system overreacts to a foreign invader. This invader is typically harmless to you, but your body treats it like a threat nonetheless. Its defense mechanisms involve inflammation and increased mucus production to destroy and flush out the perceived threat. This reaction creates symptoms such as:
- Itchy nose
- Runny nose with clear, watery mucus
- Congestion
- Sneezing
- Itchy throat
- Hives or skin rash
Cold
A cold is caused by a legitimate threat: a virus. Unlike allergens, a virus will invade the cells in your body, infect them, and begin to reproduce. Therefore, the immune system responds aggressively to destroy the virus. The virus that typically causes the common cold is rhinovirus, which establishes itself in the respiratory (breathing) system. Since your airways are the most affected area, you see symptoms such as:
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Sneezing
- Congestion
- Runny nose with thick mucus, sometimes cloudy, yellow or green in the event of a sinus infection
- Excessive mucus in the chest
- Fatigue
- Body aches
Symptoms In Common
Symptoms concentrated in the nose are common to both allergies and a cold: sneezing, runny nose and congestion. Due to these prominent similarities, it can be difficult at first to discern which condition is plaguing you.
Symptoms That Differ
Allergies will most often cause itchiness at the places where contact with the allergen was made. Symptoms stay localized to those spots. Itchy eyes, nose or throat typically point to allergies, not a cold.
A cold, on the other hand, deals with a reproducing and spreading threat, so you’ll feel much more widespread symptoms throughout the body, especially in your throat and chest. Coughing, especially a wet cough, is a pretty good sign that it’s a cold, not allergies. Additionally, a fever is unique to a cold, as your body is trying to kill the virus by making the environment too hot for it to reproduce.
Other Key Differences
Another factor that can indicate whether you have allergies or a cold is the context in which your symptoms appear. Did they come on quickly and all at once? It’s probably allergies. An allergic reaction is immediate. If symptoms come on slowly, like over the course of a couple of days, that’s probably a cold.
Also consider how long you’ve had your symptoms. Allergies will last as long as you’re in contact with your allergic trigger, meaning they can last weeks or months. If mold is growing in your home and you have a mold allergy, you’re going to feel allergy symptoms as long as that mold is present. A cold will typically resolve itself in a week or two, and then the symptoms will end.
If you’re still not sure which condition you have or how to treat it, consider meeting with an allergist or ENT specialist. Our new allergy services have the expertise to help determine your condition and the best treatment plan. Call today and find relief from your symptoms.
