Allergy or Cold? That’s How You Tell!
Do I have an allergy or a cold? Since the symptoms are similar, it is not always easy to tell. We’ll tell you the differences!
Allergy or cold? The short checklist for your health
Whether you have an allergy or a cold is not always so easy to tell – because the symptoms, such as a severe cough or cold, can be very similar. Here we will reveal the most important differences in a brief overview:
Cold:
- Can occur at any time (especially in winter, but there is also the summer flu)
- Announces itself slowly (e.g. only after a sore throat) and remains for about a week
- Complaints are equally strong, no matter whether you are indoors or outdoors and do not change due to changing weather
- Nasal secretion is often yellowish or greenish discoloured
- Additional symptoms like fever or chills
Allergy:
- Comes at the same time every year
- Starts very suddenly
- Is particularly bad in the morning with a house dust allergy, pollen allergy sufferers suffer mainly outside. Long-lasting rain reduces the number of pollen in the air and thus reduces the symptoms
- Nasal secretion is clear and not discoloured
- Additional symptoms such as burning eyes, itching or sneezing fits
Allergy or cold – These symptoms exist
There are many complaints that fit both diseases. These complaints occur whether you have an allergy or a cold:
- Cough
- Sniffles
- Nose clogged
- Sneeze
- Feeling of pressure in the head / headache
- Swollen mucous membranes in the nose
If you are unsure whether you have an allergy or a cold, you should definitely consult a doctor. An untreated allergy can promote allergic asthma.
Clues: How to recognize allergic rhinitis and what helps?
Through an allergic reaction in the so-called prick test, the doctor can find out whether an allergy to common allergens such as house dust or pollen is present. Antihistamines can then alleviate the inflammatory reaction. For some allergies the so-called hyposensitization can also help.