The signs of a cold, flu and allergies are somewhat close, rendering the distinction difficult for anyone to tell. The mechanisms may have several parallels, but symptoms include some key variations–particularly, itchiness and the snot's color. Here's how to tell the difference by our Sotogrande GP allergy doctor.
Itchiness
Our Sotogrande GP allergy doctor explains that although hay fever and cold symptoms sometimes overlap, one sign of pollen allergies is that itchiness is rarely induced by colds. If you have itchy eyes, hands, mouth or neck, this is typically hay fever. The only exception to this rule is the itchy nose, which in both hay fever and cold can precede a sneeze.
Sore throat
Rarely will Hay fever come with a sore throat-a recurrent counterpart of the common cold. If you have flu-like symptoms and a sore throat or have experienced one over the last few days, it is more probable to be a cold.
Remedies
When you are allergic to anything in the environment, your effects can be diminished or eradicated by antihistamines, you can take a pill to see whether it will make any difference. Hay fever is correlated with an oversensitive immune system, so taking a multi-strain probiotic on a regular basis throughout the year, and especially in the spring, may help promote a safe immune response. Eating local honey from bees who have pollinated local plants will also help develop local plant antigens resistance.
Time and place
Grass pollen is in the air between May to mid-July, and if the symptoms are occurring at this period it is likely to be hay fever and have to call our Sotogrande GP allergy doctor.
If you're in a city–where pollen binds to the highly contaminated air–the odds of getting hay fever are much higher and if your symptoms start when you're lying on grass, it's most probably hay fever and not a cold.
How are they treated?
An allergy test, using a skin prick or blood examination, will warn you of the particular irritants that cause the condition for allergen-related IgE. These tests can be provided by our Sotogrande GP allergy doctor.
Oral antihistamines are helpful in patients with mild to moderate hay fever, especially in cases whose key symptoms involve palatal itching, sneezing or rhinorrhoea.
Generally, treatment isn't necessary for a cold but over-the-counter medications can help relieve some of the symptoms. Contact our Sotogrande GP allergy doctor to know which treatment you should be getting.