A Cold, or Seasonal Allergies?

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.

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WebMD the Magazine - September/October 2005

QUESTION

Allergies can best be described as: See Answer