Summer Cold Or Seasonal Allergies? 3 Questions To Ask Yourself About Your Symptoms

In the middle of summer, you may start feeling run down while suffering from a stuffy nose. However, you may be uncertain about whether your symptoms are caused by a summer cold or seasonal allergies. Since there are some similarities between the two conditions, ask yourself the following questions about your symptoms to determine which one you may have.

When Did Your Symptoms Start?

The first thing you should ask yourself is about the timeframe when your symptoms started. Did you feel a general sick feeling for a few days? Or, did the symptoms start suddenly.

If you were feeling bad a few days before your symptoms were noticeable, you most likely have a cold. Since a cold is caused by a virus, it can take a couple of days for it to fully take hold of your body.

However, if your nose seemed to stop up within a few minutes, you probably have seasonal allergies. As soon as you came into contact with pollen or another trigger, your body reacted immediately.

Do You Have A Cough?

The next thing you should examine about your symptoms is whether or not you have a cough. Since colds are actually respiratory infections, a cough is quite common when your body is trying to rid itself of the invading virus.

However, you probably will not have a cough with seasonal allergies. You may have some light hacking, but this is caused by sinus drainage hitting the back of your throat and triggering the reflex. You should not feel the coughs deep within your lungs.

Are You Feeling Achy All Over?

The next questions to ask is whether or not you feel achy all over. When you have a summer cold, your body calls on the entire system to fight off the virus. This response can make your muscles feel tired and achy.

If you have allergies, you should not feel achy. Since the condition is localized to your upper respiratory system, the same systemic immune response is not used by the body as with a cold. Allergies are dealt with by trying to flush out the allergens, resulting in itchy, watery eyes and your runny nose.

Answering the above questions about your symptoms can help you determine whether you have a summertime cold or seasonal allergies. However, if you are still uncertain or start experiencing an increase in symptoms, make an appointment with an adult medicine physician like those at Burnsville Family Physicians so they can examine you and prescribe the correct treatment for your condition.