You know the feeling. That tickle in the back of your throat. Runny nose. Congestion. Yep – you’re sick. But what do you have? Most adults don’t pay attention to what ails them. They muddle through and wait to feel better. But focusing on your symptoms can help you determine whether you have a passing virus or something more chronic, like allergies.
“If you have cold-like symptoms that are lingering more than a week with clear drainage, no associated fever, itchy eyes and runny nose it’s likely you have allergies,” says Dr. Marc Cromie of Chattanooga Allergy Clinic.
You may be saying to yourself, “But I’ve never had allergies.” Doesn’t matter. Allergic disease is skyrocketing, with some estimates at one in five Americans having an allergic condition according to the UCLA Food & Drug Allergy Care Center.
So how do you know if it’s allergies or a cold?
As you can see it’s not always black and white. Both can include runny nose, congestion and loss of energy. You can have a sore throat caused by drainage from allergies, but that’s something that usually develops over several days or weeks. If it begins immediately, you’re dealing with a cold. Same with thick/yellow mucus – it usually starts from the get-go with a cold but develops over time with allergies due to a secondary infection.
The easiest way to settle the allergies vs. cold debate is by duration and timing of your illness. If you’re still sniffling two weeks later, you’re probably dealing with allergies. Or if you get sick every time you mow the lawn or go to a friend’s house with cats, it’s likely allergies.
So why does it matter? Getting to the bottom of it makes treatment more effective, which is important since OTC (over the counter) medicine is the usual first course of action.
If you have allergies, your treatment will be completely different than with a common cold. You need to start with a daily antihistamine such as Zyrtec or Allegra. You also need to know what your triggers are so you can avoid exposure as much as possible.
WHEN TO CALL THE ALLERGIST?
Most people can muddle through allergy season with OTC medications. But over time they lose their luster. When they fail to help, it’s time to see the allergist. Prescription medicines such as nasal sprays that are antihistamine or corticosteroid based are particularly effective when paired with OTC oral antihistamines.
Allergists can also test to see exactly what is offending your immune system, which can help you avoid the allergen as much as possible and reduce your need for medication.
The other reason to see a doctor is for secondary infections (that yellow, thick mucus we talked about earlier) or if you’re having asthma symptoms. Roughly 80 percent of asthmatics have an allergic trigger, and 1/3 of all asthma deaths come from people with undiagnosed or mild asthma.
Bottom line, seeing an allergist can offer some much deserved relief. If you have allergies, you could find yourself sneezing almost half the year…sometimes all year if things like dust and mold are your triggers. That’s a lot of Kleenex (and missed work days).
In addition to hay fever symptoms, a board certified allergist (like the ones at Chattanooga Allergy Clinic) can help you get control of asthma, food allergies, chronic sinus infections, chronic hives, eczema, drug allergies, insect allergies and immune (IgG) deficiency.