{"id":45124,"date":"2016-04-30T07:15:58","date_gmt":"2016-04-30T11:15:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=45124"},"modified":"2016-07-14T16:05:08","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T20:05:08","slug":"difference-cold-or-allergies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/difference-cold-or-allergies\/","title":{"rendered":"Do I Have a Cold or Allergies? 6 Telltale Signs"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Do
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spring\u00a0is packed with some of our favorite things \u2014 picnics, outdoor adventures<\/a> and\u00a0longer, warmer\u00a0days\u00a0\u2014 but it\u2019s also when allergies act up and cold season lingers. Problem is, it can be tough to tell if you\u2019re coming down with something or if your sinuses are just revolting against changes in the weather. If you find yourself sniffling and aren\u2019t sure whether you need chicken soup and Netflix<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 or new allergy meds \u2014 don\u2019t sweat it.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Are Allergies Sabotaging Your Workout?<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, the common cold and allergies share very similar symptoms, like coughing, sneezing and congestion,\u201d says Andrew Kim, MD, an allergist and medical director at Allergy & Asthma Centers in Northern Virginia. \u201cOccasionally, it can even be difficult for doctors to diagnose between the two.\u201d However, most of the time, there are several telltale signs to pinpoint the culprit. We tapped Dr. Kim and Keri Peterson, MD<\/a>, an internist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, to help you take stock of your condition and devise your sneeze-free action plan. (However, keep in mind these are only general guidelines and should not replace advice or recommendations from your doctor or medical professional.)<\/p>\n

Cold or Allergies? 6 Questions to Ask Yourself <\/strong><\/h3>\n

1.\u00a0<\/strong>Do you have a runny nose?
\n<\/strong>A nose that won\u2019t stop running is a symptom shared by both allergies and a cold, says Kim, and it may be very difficult to distinguish which is causing it. But if you pay attention to the color and texture of your mucus (yes, ewww, sorry) and whether it changes, you should be able to gain insight into what\u2019s really going on inside. Allergies and the early stages of a cold generally produce thin, watery mucus, but \u201cif it becomes thick and discolored yellow or green, it\u2019s possibly a respiratory infection,\u201d says Peterson.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> What the Color of Your Pee Really Means<\/a><\/p>\n

2.\u00a0<\/strong>Do you have itchy eyes?
\n<\/strong>Can\u2019t stop scratching your eyes, nose, throat \u2014 or even your ears? That itchiness is often caused by allergies. However, this is not without exception: \u201cItchy and irritated eyes may also be caused by viral conjunctivitis (aka pink eye), which is associated with the common cold<\/a>.\u201d An antihistamine or decongestant should help, and it should clear up within two weeks, but always check in with your doctor first.<\/p>\n

3. Do you have aches and pains?
\n<\/strong>Think about it: Is pain localized around your sinuses (yes, your face could hurt \u2014 not just your head), or is your whole body in on the suffering? Sometimes, a low-grade fever, swollen glands and\/or uncomfortable aches all over your body can accompany colds, says Kim. Another place to look out for pain? Your throat. You might experience itchiness here from an allergen, says Peterson, but, \u201ca sore throat is common with a cold and almost never occurs [from] allergies.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Can Vitamin C Really Help Fight a Cold?<\/a><\/p>\n

4. How quickly did it hit you?
\n<\/strong>If you suddenly feel bombarded with watery eyes, mucus or congestion out of nowhere, you\u2019re likely not suffering from the common cold. \u201cSymptoms of a cold are gradual in onset while allergies are sudden,\u201d notes Peterson. Either way, try eating one of these seven foods<\/a> to help reduce cold-like symptoms and boost your overall immunity.<\/p>\n

5. How long have you been feeling bad?
\n<\/strong>Colds typically run their course within two weeks, sometimes lasting only a few days. On the other hand, says Peterson, allergic reactions can linger for as long (or as short!) as you are exposed to the allergen, like dust or ragweed. (Plus, allergies can lead to feeling exhausted, fast<\/a> \u2014 never a good thing if you\u00a0need to be feeling your best.)<\/p>\n

6. What time of year is it?
\n<\/strong>Allergies tend to pop up during the change of seasons, specifically in the spring, summer or fall, while colds are tend to come on in the winter months \u2014 though under-the-weather season can extend from September to March, says Kim. \u201cIf you notice that your symptoms occur the same time every year, they\u2019re likely caused by allergies,\u201d says Peterson. If your symptoms also act up primarily when you\u2019re in a certain place (like your office or a friend\u2019s house), a reaction to an indoor allergen like mold or dust may be to blame.<\/p>\n

Still feeling clueless \u2014 and a bit sniffly? See your doctor or book an appointment with an allergist to help figure you why you\u2019re feeling under the weather.<\/p>\n

Originally posted November 2015. Updated April 2016.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Don\u2019t know if you\u2019re suffering from a cold or allergies? Here are six telltale ways to spot the difference between the two kinds of stuffy-nose scenarios. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,11],"tags":[165,224,228,345,391],"class_list":["post-45124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","category-health-hacks","tag-allergies","tag-illness","tag-spring","tag-tax1conditions","tag-tax2cold-flu"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45124"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45124\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}