Is it a Cold, or Seasonal Allergies – Learn the difference between the two on MedicineNet.com

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A Cold, or Seasonal Allergies?

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The leaves are gold, red and orange, the weather has turned cooler- and, as if on cue, your nose starts to run, your eyes are puffy and watery, and you suddenly sneeze several times a day. Is is a cold- or do you have a fall (or seasonal) allergy?

Check Your Symptoms Symptoms of allergies and colds can be similar, but here's how to tell the difference:
Colds		Allergies
Occurrence of symptoms:	Symptoms often appear one at a time: first sneezing, then a runny nose, then congestion.	Symptoms occur all at once.
Duration of symptoms:	Generally last from seven to 10 days.	Continue as long as a person is exposed to the allergy-causing agent (allergen).
Mucus:	Often a yellowish nasal discharge, due to an infection.	Generally a clear, thin, watery discharge.
Sneezing:	Less common than with allergies.	More common than with colds, especially when sneezing occurs two or three times in a row.
Time of year:	More common during winter.	More common in spring through fall, when plants are pollinating.
Fever:	May be accompanied by a fever.	Not usually associated with a fever.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

Can a test tell me which plant (or mold) is causing my allergy?
Can my allergy be cured?
Are there medications I can take?
Are there lifestyle changes I can make to relieve my symptoms?

Did You Know?

Hay fever is another name for fall allergies.
Molds can also cause allergy symptoms when they release tiny reproductive cells, called spores.
Tree pollen allergies strike in late winter to early spring, grass allergies can strike from spring through summer, and ragweed (which causes "hay fever") typically strikes in the fall.
An allergen is a substance that your body perceives as dangerous, which causes an allergic reaction.
An antihistamine is a medication that prevents congestion, sneezing and itchy, runny nose by blocking histamine (a substance released by your body's immune system after being exposed to an allergen.
A decongestant is a medication that shrinks swollen nasal tissues to relieve symptoms of nasal swelling, congestion and mucus secretion.

Know Your Numbers

35 million- that's the number of people with allergic rhinitis, another name for seasonal allergies, according to NIAID
Most people develop hay fever before age 30.

For more, please read the Common Cold and Allergies articles and visit the Cold and Flu Center.

Last Editorial Review: 10/31/2005

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