Alexandria Wyckoff
Tens of millions of people deal with allergies on a yearly basis, but how do you determine whether you have allergies and not a cold or the flu? Allergies and colds have overlapping symptoms, often making it hard to tell the difference between the two. Allergies often occur from your immune system reacting to otherwise harmless substances, such as dust mites, pollen, mold spores, and pet dander. Keep reading to explore six signs you have allergies and not a cold.
6. No Fever
Starting our list of signs you have allergies and not a cold is no fever. Allergies do not come with a fever. If your body is instead fighting off a virus, you may get a fever as an immune response. There are a few instances where allergies can prompt a fever. For instance, if they lead to health complications like a sinus infection, though this doesn’t happen often.
5. Have Persistent Symptoms
Fifth on our list of signs you have allergies and not a cold is having persistent symptoms. With a cold, you typically start to feel better after around three to seven days. However, if you have allergies, these symptoms will continue to occur for as long as you are exposed to allergens. An improvement will happen when you’re no longer around what you’re allergic to.
4. Dry Cough/Tickle in Throat
Next on our list of signs you have allergies and not a cold is a dry cough or tickle in your throat. A dry cough is often indicative of allergies, since, unlike a cold that causes a sore throat, allergies only irritate the lining of the nose. This leads to your nasal passages producing extra mucus that moves to the back of the throat, triggering that tickling sensation and making you cough. If you don’t feel sick but have been coughing for weeks, it could be an allergic reaction.
3. Not Contagious
Rounding out the top three signs you have allergies and not a cold is that you are not contagious. With a cold, you are infectious for two days before you have any noticeable symptoms and for two weeks after initial exposure to the virus. As for allergies, there is no risk of catching them from someone else, as they are not contagious, but are instead prompted by your immune system to allergens.
2. Seasonal Pattern
Second on our list of signs you have allergies and not a cold is if your symptoms have a seasonal pattern. Seasonal allergies will flare and subside around the same time every year. A perfect example is pollen, as your symptoms will be worse between March and September, when pollen counts are the highest. Allergies often follow a pattern and will flare up when allergens you react to are present.
1. Itchy Eyes, Nose, Ears, Throat
Last but not least on our list of signs you have allergies and not a cold are itchy eyes, nose, ears, and throat. When you have a cold, your eyes may turn red and have slight discomfort. As for allergies, it often comes with itchy, watery eyes, along with swelling. The itchiness extends to the nose, throat, and ears, as your immune system is releasing chemicals to fight the allergens.