Board-certified in allergy and immunology, Dr. Tania Elliott shares three easy ways to tell the difference.
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00How do you tell the difference between cold and allergies?
00:06Because it can be really confusing, right?
00:08Itchy eyes, runny nose, congestion, post-nasal drip.
00:10So three easy ways to tell the difference.
00:12Number one, allergies typically do not cause a fever or swollen lymph nodes.
00:16So if you have a fever or your neck is hurting and your glands are swollen,
00:19the likelihood is it's a cold.
00:21Number two, the timing of your symptoms.
00:23Allergies happen after you're exposed to a trigger.
00:26So if it's when you're around your pet or right when you go outside
00:29or right when you wake up in the morning.
00:31Whereas with a cold, the symptoms will last throughout the course of the day
00:35and won't really wax or wane.
00:37Number three is the duration of your symptoms.
00:39How long it's lasting.
00:41So typically a cold lasts seven to ten days.
00:43Allergies can last weeks and even months.
00:46And fall allergy season lasts all the way up until the first frost.
00:50So what can we do about it?
00:52The first thing is to understand what your triggers are and then avoid those triggers.
00:56So if you're experiencing symptoms when you're around your pets,
00:59keep your pet outside of the bedroom.
01:01If you're experiencing symptoms when you're outside,
01:04when you come inside, you want to take off your shoes and leave them at the front door.
01:07You want to take off your clothes, throw them in the washing machine and wash them off.
01:11You want to take a shower, rinse off all that pollen.
01:14Have an air filter that's appropriate for the size of your home.
01:17Vacuum once a week with a HEPA vacuum.
01:20Wash your sheets once a week on the highest heat setting.
01:22Then when it comes to symptom management, I recommend an antihistamine like Zyrtec.
01:28Antihistamines block the release of a chemical called histamine from your allergy cells.
01:32And histamines is what's responsible for itching, swelling, redness and congestion.
01:37I'm a big fan of Zyrtec Dissolve tablets because they dissolve instantly in your mouth
01:42and you don't need any water.
01:43So they're great for on-the-go.
01:45And they start within one hour and last for a full 24 hours.
01:49And they also have children's Zyrtec in a variety of forms and flavors,
01:53which provide 24-hour relief from indoor and outdoor allergies suitable for ages 2 and older.
01:58Now, if you have a cold, I cannot stress the importance of stress reduction,
02:03both on your physical body as well as mentally,
02:05especially as we're dealing with back to school and then the holidays right around the corner.
02:10Also, rest and hydration are key.