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Allergy or
Summer Cold? How to Tell the Difference... and Get Relief for Either!
Summer colds always seem more troublesome than winter ones. A stuffed-up
nose and scratchy throat ruin weekends and vacations. We also are
at a loss about how we could have caught one in the first place.
But before you assume what you have is a cold, don't rule out allergies.
WHEN A COLD ISN'T A COLD
In nine out of 10 cases of sneezing, nasal congestion and a runny
nose, the symptoms are from seasonal allergies, not from a cold.
Most physicians, too, are confused by the look-alike symptoms.
How to tell the difference...
- Colds go away in a week or so... and you should start feeling better
even before then. Allergies go on for longer periods of time, depending
on the seasonal trigger. Examples...
- Trees: March through June.
- Grass: June through July.
- Weeds: August through September.
If cold symptoms last longer than a week, call the National Allergy
Bureau, 800-976-5536. After entering your Zip code, you'll hear a
recording that tells what plants are throwing off pollen in your area.
Or check the pollen count for your region on-line at www.aaaai.org/nab.
This information may help you to understand what is triggering
your symptoms and your doctor to pinpoint an allergy. You can rule
out a summer cold if you see a pattern to your symptoms.
- Colds can produce a fever. Allergies do not.
- Allergies cause you to sneeze seven or eight times in a row. Your
eyes and nose will itch, too. Neither is true of colds.
- Allergies come on quickly. Colds usually make you suffer a few
days before they hit harder. Although allergies come on quickly,
they're the result of a process in which your body has been building
up sensitivity to certain environmental or household triggers. And
what you didn't sneeze at last year may cause you great discomfort
this season.
PREVENTING SUMMER COLDS
In winter, dry air helps viruses spread. The heat is on indoors,
and the lower humidity during winter months dries nasal passages
and leaves them more susceptible to infection.
In summer, open windows ventilate rooms and make it difficult for
viruses to attack. And because you're usually outside more during
summer months and less in association with people who are ill, you'll
reduce your chances of picking up a viral bug.
But if you're inside a closed room or a building with the air conditioner
blasting, the air becomes as dry as it is in winter and therefore
prone to spread viruses.
Tried-and-proven rules for preventing any cold...
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Avoid family members or coworkers who are sneezing or blowing
their noses.
- Wipe down hard surfaces with a bleach solution -- containing
one part bleach to 20 parts water. Viruses can live on hard surfaces
for more than one day.
- Drink liquids -- nonalcoholic and noncaffeinated... and maintain
a humid environment -- 35% to 45% relative humidity.
TREATING A SUMMER COLD
Colds come on slowly, usually about two or three days after exposure.
The first symptoms are usually a sore or scratchy throat followed
by sneezing (usually two or three sneezes at a time), a runny
nose and possibly fever.
The cough develops several days later and may linger. Symptoms
generally last from two days to a week.
The only cure is time. But you can help yourself feel better...
- Rest your body.
- Gargle every few hours with warm salt water to relieve the sting
of a sore throat.
- Drink lots of fluids to hydrate your system.
- Take acetaminophen to relieve headache or slight fever.
- Avoid antibiotics. They don't kill viruses.
Important: Vitamin C does not relieve
cold symptoms. In fact, megadoses may cause diarrhea and other discomforts.
WHEN SYMPTOMS WORSEN
Colds -- and even allergies -- can turn into nasty bacterial infections
even if they are treated properly.
Reason: Whatever stops up a nose and
blocks normal drainage can lead to sinusitis.
You can recognize sinusitis by a greenish nasal mucus when you
blow your nose that last greater than 7-10 days... pressure over
your sinuses... and sometimes a fever.
In such cases, see your doctor, who may prescribe an antibiotic.
To prevent complications from nasal blockage due to a cold...
- Use an over-the-counter decongestant, which will dry up tissues
in the nasal passages.
- Warning: Avoid over-the-counter (OTC) varieties if you have high
blood pressure, diabetes or heart palpitations. Men who have enlarged
prostates should avoid OTC medication with antihistamines.
- Avoid antihistamines. They are not necessary for treatment of colds
and can cause side effects.
- Consider decongestant nasal sprays, which also relieve symptoms.
But use them only up to five days. Otherwise your nose could literally
become "addicted" to the spray. If you're not better in
a 7-10 days, see your doctor.
ALLERGY RELIEF
To prevent complications from nasal blockage from an allergy, consider
allergy medications to unblock nasal passages if your symptoms are
mild...
- Take antihistamines to relieve nasal and eye itching and sneezing.
Antihistamines come in sedating or nonsedating varieties. Know the
right one to take.
- Over-the-counter antihistamines are often sedating. So are over-the-counter
decongestants that contain antihistamines. Both are effective, but
they can make you sleepy and unable to drive a car or operate machinery.
- Newer prescription-only antihistamines are nonsedating. Steroid
nasal sprays are the best medications for controlling hay fever.
Don't expect to "recover" from your allergies. Seasonal
allergies last throughout a season. But you can at least find relief.
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