How To Differentiate An Allergy From A Cold?
Differentiating an allergy from a cold is sometimes not an easy task. Even for medical professionals it can be difficult when the clinical picture is not complete.
Although it would be expected that the presentation of one and the other differs in time, this is not always the case. The allergy can be present in winter times where the cold is the usual pathology of the respiratory tract. And in childhood, even more so, date overlaps are made.
Allergy or cold?
Consider that respiratory allergy, known as allergic rhinitis, affects up to a third of the population. Of this group, two-thirds suffer from it every year at the same time; usually in spring.
In turn, among infants, the cold happens up to eight times in the course of a year. This amount is considered normal and does not mean that there is some basic predisposition. For adults, the maximum number of colds expected annually has been set at five.
Differentiating an allergy from a cold is not impossible, but you have to be attentive to the details. Both situations are located in the respiratory system, although with different origins. While allergic rhinitis is an immune reaction to an external agent, the cold is caused by a viral infection.
What is allergic rhinitis?
Understanding allergic rhinitis helps you differentiate an allergy from a cold. Similarly, knowing the presentation of the common cold contributes to the same goal.
An allergic rhinitis is at its core an allergy, that is, a reaction of the body to an external agent known as an allergen. The classic thing about allergic rhinitis is that it is seasonal.
Many substances can trigger rhinitis, but most often it is pollen from plants in spring, mites inside rooms, the fur of animals kept as pets in homes, and certain foods.
When a person suffers from allergic rhinitis they have:
- Sneezing
- Nasal itching.
- Erythema of the nose.
- Eye tearing
- Runny nose
What is the common cold?
Many of the symptoms of allergic rhinitis are shared with the cold : runny nose, sneezing, watery eyes, and so on. This is what makes it difficult to tell an allergy from a cold.
However, the cold is an infection that is contracted by a virus, not an allergic reaction. Its time of maximum presentation is winter, since the environmental conditions are generated so that these viruses can penetrate the defense barriers of the human being.
It is not a pathology that requires cumbersome treatments. They are self-limited pictures that last a week and disappear without complications if you take care to rest, rest and hydrate.
Medicines for the common cold help to overcome symptoms, but they do not shorten the duration of the clinical picture. Antibiotics are by no means an indication that it is a cold infection.
The keys to differentiate an allergy from a cold
Let’s see then what are the fundamental points to be able to differentiate an allergy from a cold that, although similar, are not the same:
- Fever: fever is an infectious sign in the vast majority of cases. Allergic rhinitis always runs without fever, and its presence is indicative of an external agent colonizing our body.
- Duration: as we explained previously, the common cold is a self-limited pathology. Its duration is approximately one week and it is resolved with the body’s defenses when they manage to defeat the virus. The allergy does not have an estimated duration and can last as long as the external agent that causes the rhinitis persists.
- Mucus: although it is a subtle difference, it is true that the snot of the cold are not the same as those of the rhinitis. In allergy the mucus tends to be transparent and fluid to the point of liquid, while in colds it is yellowish and thicker.
- Sneezing: the sneezing of allergic rhinitis is classic because it occurs in a series of several attacks that are repeated during the day. In colds, sneezing is one more symptom, but sporadic, and rarely in a chain.
- Intensity: the cold usually presents with all the symptoms from the beginning, and then its intensity decreases, to reach the seventh day of evolution, the body practically recovered. Allergic rhinitis does not have that intensity curve, but rather evolves evenly while it lasts.
Differentiate an allergy from a cold
Differentiating an allergy from a cold is possible considering its peculiarities. In any case, when in doubt it is important to consult a health professional who will have more tools to diagnose one or the other.
In the same way, the professional will be able to prescribe and prescribe the medications that are useful in each case. Although they are generally uncomplicated situations, they can evolve poorly if the treatment is not correct.
