It's often difficult to figure out whether you're suffering from a cold or allergies. Many of their symptoms are the same, which often leaves you wondering what bottle of medicine to grab. But don't worry, we're here to help you out.
In part one of this series, we explained the differences between a runny nose, aches and itchy eyes. When managing a runny nose because of allergies, your mucus will be thin and watery, whereas it'll be thicker and discolored if dealing with a cold. We also discussed how you normally feel sore all over your body while sick, but only ache near your sinuses when suffering from allergies. And finally, we pointed out that your eyes normally become itchy when they're affected by allergies.
If you're still unsure, even after running through this list of symptoms, here are a few more ways to tell whether you're feeling lousy because of allergies or a cold.
- Duration of symptoms: Most colds only last a couple of weeks, so if many of the symptoms we discussed are still present, you could be dealing with allergies.
- Time of year: If you tend to get stuffy noses around the same time every year, there's a strong possibility you're struggling with allergies. Colds tend to be more sporadic.
There are many different ways to manage your allergies. Remember that medicine is only one part of it, if you choose to go that route. For more information on proper allergy management techniques and allergy control products, visit Allergy Be Gone today.
