You’re sneezing and sniffling, with a stuffy nose and an itchy throat. With these kinds of symptoms, you most likely have a cold. Then again, allergies can cause comparable symptoms. So which one is it– a cold or allergies?
Before you open your medicine cabinet and begin to look for relief, you have to know which type of medication you need. Colds and allergic reactions require different types of treatment.
When you’re not exactly sure what the issue is, attempt these 3 easy tests. They’ll help you figure out whether you’ve got an allergic reaction issue or simply a common cold.
Symptoms of Itchy Throat and Stuffy Nose
A runny nose and sneezing will not tell you whether you have a cold or allergic reactions, since they can be signs of either condition. But some symptoms are special to either colds or allergic reactions.
To assist you choose, examine your symptoms versus this list:
| Cold | Allergies | |
| Aches and pains | Sometimes | No |
| Itchy, watery eyes | Rarely | Yes |
| Runny nose | Yes | Yes |
| Fever | Rarely | No |
| Sneezing | Yes | Yes |
| Sore or scratchy throat | Yes | Sometimes |
| Stuffy nose | Yes | Yes |
| Fatigue | Sometimes (mild) | Sometimes |
| Cough | Yes | Sometimes |
What’s the Season?
If you’re sneezing and sniffling in April and your car is covered with yellow-green pollen, you might have the ability to point to an obvious cause: seasonal allergic reactions or hay fever. This is particularly true if you get the same symptoms at about the same time every year, according to iytmed.com.
Colds can hit at any time of year — even during spring and summer — although they’re most common when the weather condition gets chilly.
How fast your symptoms occur can likewise identify what’s ailing you. Allergic reactions frequently start practically immediately after you’re exposed to your trigger. For example, if you’ve got pollen allergies, as soon as that pollen makes its method up your nostrils, you might have symptoms.
Cold bacteria generally take 1 to 3 days to make you sick. If your nose is starting to twitch and you realize you were sitting next to a sneezer at the cinema 2 nights ago, a cold might be the cause.
How Long Have Your Symptoms Lasted?
Colds generally remain for 3 days to about a week, but symptoms can last as much as 2 weeks in some individuals. Beginning to feel much better after a few days is a sign you’re probably on the mend from a cold.
If you’re getting worse, your cold might become a bacterial infection. If symptoms last more than 1 to 2 weeks or become worse after about 5 days, you need to see a doctor.
Allergy symptoms will last for as long as you’re exposed to your trigger. So if you’re allergic to feline dander, once you leave your grandma’s house and with it her treasured Persian cat, your sniffles need to subside. If your trigger is pollen and you invest the majority of the spring months outdoors, you could be dealing with symptoms for the entire season.
Stuffy Nose Causes
Although a nasal discharge, or runny nose, may be bothersome, it is in fact a sign that your body is battling the infection, according to the Indiana University School of Medicine. The extra mucus produced when you are coming down with a cold serves to fight germs and keeps nasal passages wet. It is not unusual for mucus to change in color and consistency during a cold. The clear nasal discharge you have at the beginning of a cold normally becomes yellow or green as the health problem progresses, and does not demand treatment with an antibiotic, according to the Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia.
Stuffy Nose Relief
Consuming great deals of fluids, consisting of water, juices and hot teas and soups, helps replace lost fluids and keeps mucus thin instead of thick. Avoid things that contribute to dehydration, including alcohol (quit it), caffeine and cigarette smoke(quit smoking as well). Increasing the quantity of humidity in the air you breath can also fend off fluid loss and help you feel more comfy. Using soft tissues to clean away mucus can help prevent irritation and redness of the skin around the nose.
Itchy Throat Causes
Feeling scratchiness or a tickle in the throat is specifically common at the onset of a cold. The membranes of the throat might be irritated either from dryness and dehydration, or from excessive fluid as waste material drains down the throat, triggering pain upon swallowing, and the feeling of needing to constantly clear the throat.
Itchy Throat Relief
Luckily, a sore or itchy throat on one side generally lasts only for a day or two at the start of a cold. The discomfort is best soothed with lots of liquids such as warm soups and teas, over-the-counter pain medications, or throat lozenges. Gargling with warm salt water several times day-to-day and drinking warm water with lemon and honey are reliable natural home remedy.
