With the allergy season approaching and the cold and flu season not yet behind us, many people are wondering how to tell the symptoms apart.
Dr. Birinder Narang explains that there is plenty of overlap when it comes to symptoms, including sinus congestion, runny nose and sneezing. The difference, he adds, can come in how long those symptoms last.
“You shouldn’t expect a cold symptom to keep lasting for weeks on end, especially at this time of year,” he said, adding cold and flu patients will also see additional symptoms.
“Cold, influenza and COVID are more likely to have things like a fever, sore throat and body aches,” he said. However, the patient should get better within a few days.
If you do suspect you have allergies, Dr. Narang says to first identify the trigger or allergen, and to get tested by a board-certified allergy physician.
Next, develop a plan to avoid those allergens, which can include the following:
- Close doors and windows in your house and car
- Get access to air conditioning or an air purifier
- Wash clothes daily
- Shower or bath daily
- Exercise indoors
- Avoid the outdoors on dry, windy and hot days
- Try using a mask if your symptoms are in your nose and sinus
If you’re still getting impacted after taking those steps, Dr. Narang suggests trying a non-drowsy antihistamine — specifically, an over-the-counter, long lasting antihistamine.
“These are second generation or ‘newer’ antihistamines which target your body and not your brain,” he explains. They won’t make you drowsy and they can be taken at night because they won’t keep you awake either.
Lastly, if you are doing all these things and you have significant symptoms, you may want to consider allergy immunotherapies.
Dr. Narang says these can be costly and time consuming, but if your symptoms are so bad your life is getting significantly impacted, it’s worth having a conversation with an allergy physician.