Coughing, sneezing, congestion, runny nose… During these winter days these are very common symptoms, especially among the little ones. And since it is cold, it snows, it rains, and the temperature changes are continuous, we tend to think that it is a cold or a . But what if that was not what happens to them?
The specialists of the remember that during these months of the year there are some plant species that are carrying out pollination, such as cypresses and arizónicas.
The pollen of these plants can produce symptoms so similar to those produced by a simple cold that we can confuse both pathologies.
So knowing what makes them different can help us resort to the correct medication and get rid of the discomfort.
Keys to keep in mind
The SEICAP points out that there are a series of symptoms that are common to a cold and allergic rhinitis:
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sneezing.
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Clear mucus.
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Itchy nose
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.
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The patient may also have a dry cough and sore throat, although these discomforts “are frequent in colds, but in allergies they occur occasionally,” the specialists point out.
In any case, the great similarity between the symptoms of the two diseases makes it very difficult to differentiate them on many occasions.
How to differentiate cold and allergic rhinitis
For this reason, the Spanish Society of Clinical Immunology, Allergology and Pediatric Asthma offer some keys to be able to differentiate allergic rhinitis from a cold.
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One of the best ways to do it is watch for itchy nose. If we have a constipation, this discomfort will be mild, while if we suffer from allergic rhinitis, the itching is more intense and very unpleasant.
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Another aspect to take into account is the time of duration of symptoms.
Allergy specialists explain that in allergies “symptoms are more persistent, at least 4 days a week for at least 4 weeks in a row.” On the other hand, “a common cold does not usually last more than 15 days”, and we can have two or three colds a year, no more.
If after a month, the patient continues with nasal itching, congestion or cough, it is most likely that we are dealing with allergic rhinitis.
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“The moderate cases (allergy) they can have, in addition to nasal symptoms, symptoms in the bronchi and have symptoms compatible with asthmaso it is very important to try to control allergic rhinitis as soon as possible to avoid complications with ”, allergists warn.
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Consider the age of the child. According to the data handled by the SEICAP, “colds are more common in children under 5 years of age, whereas allergic rhinitis affects 9% of children under 5 years of age and 25% of children between 13 and 15 years of age. ”.
And it is that the older they get, the more developed their immune system is, so it is more likely that the symptoms are due to an allergy and not a cold.
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Finally, highlight a couple of symptoms that can give us many clues. Yes there are muscle pain and some tenthswe are certainly facing a cold, because the allergy does not produce these symptoms.