Spring Cold or Respiratory Allergies: How to Tell the Difference

You have a nagging cough, stuffy nose, and sore throat. It must be a cold, right? Not necessarily.

Respiratory allergies and the common cold share similar symptoms, making it hard to distinguish between them on your own. And, misdiagnosing yourself with a spring cold when you have respiratory allergies may prolong the suffering.

At Respacare in Bridgewater, New Jersey, our allergy experts, Dr. Nehal Mehta and Dr. Prashant Patel, don't want you to suffer unnecessarily with your springtime cough and congestion. Learn how to tell the difference between a spring cold and respiratory allergies so you know what treatment can help you get relief.

Springtime cold 

Adults in the United States catch about two to three colds a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and kids catch many more. 

The common viral infection affects the upper respiratory system, including your nose, sinuses, and throat. Symptoms you may experience with a cold include:

• Sore throat
• Stuffy nose
• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Body aches
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Low-grade fever

Cold symptoms come on gradually, worsen within a day or two, and go away within a week. 

Rest and fluids are the primary treatment for colds. Over-the-counter (OTC) cold medicine may also ease symptoms. However, there’s no antiviral medication that can make you get better faster or prevent symptoms altogether. 

Though we consider the winter months “cold season,” you can get sick any time of year, including the spring. 

Respiratory allergies

Respiratory allergies are environmental allergies that affect the nose, sinuses, and throat. Pollen is the most common cause of springtime allergies. Pollen is a very fine powdery substance released into the air by trees, grass, and weeds, inhaled when breathed in.

Most people have no issues breathing in pollen. However, if you’re allergic to pollen, your immune system recognizes it as a harmful substance, triggering the release of chemicals that cause an allergic reaction, such as:

• Sneezing
• Itchy or watery eyes
• Irritated throat
• Coughing
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Post nasal drip
• Fatigue
• Sinus headache

Symptoms may improve or worsen based on pollen levels in the air. However, you may not feel well for weeks. Respiratory allergy symptoms can last six or more weeks, resolving when plants stop making pollen.

Cold vs. allergies

With similar symptoms, it’s hard to know if you have a springtime cold or allergies based on how you feel. However, there are key differences between the two respiratory illnesses. 

For one, cold symptoms resolve fairly quickly, while allergy symptoms linger for weeks. Also, you’re more likely to have a fever with your springtime cold than allergies. 

Allergy symptoms also tend to come and go, so you feel terrible for weeks. You may feel miserable for a few days with a springtime cold, but you should feel like your usual self within a week or so.

Taking cold medicine when you have allergies may not help you feel any better.

When to see the doctor

Whether it’s a cold or allergies, if symptoms last longer than a week, you should see a doctor. They can determine the cause of your symptoms and make treatment recommendations that help you feel better.

If your doctor suspects allergies, you should schedule an appointment with us for allergy testing. We can find the exact source of your symptoms and develop a plan that limits contact with the allergen and treatments to alleviate symptoms.

We also provide allergy injections for seasonal allergies, desensitizing the immune system to the allergen to eliminate or minimize symptoms.

Don’t dismiss your cough as a cold, especially if it lasts a few weeks. Call us today at 732-356-9950 or request an appointment online so we can determine if your ongoing respiratory symptoms are due to allergies.