When you wake up in the morning, do you have a stuffy nose and sneeze after sneeze? Does your throat feel a little scratchy? At times like these, one question that comes to mind for all of us is, 'Oh, am I going to catch a cold, or is this some kind of allergy?' In fact, the symptoms of these two are so similar that it's easy to confuse them. But don't worry, once you understand the difference between the two, you can easily figure out what you have. Let's talk about this in simple terms today.
What exactly are colds and allergies?
To understand the difference between the two, we first need to understand how they occur. The causes of the two are completely different.
How the common cold develops
Simply put, a cold is a viral infection . We get a cold when a virus, a very small organism found in our environment, enters our body. There are hundreds of types of viruses.
As soon as this virus enters the body, our body's defense system, our immune system, prepares for battle. Just like our army fights when an enemy comes to our country. As a result of this battle, we get cold symptoms like cough, runny nose, and itchy throat.
The most important thing is that the common cold is a contagious disease . You can catch the virus when someone with the common cold coughs, sneezes, or shakes hands. But usually within a week or two, our immune system wins the battle and defeats the virus. After that, the symptoms disappear.
How allergies occur
Allergies are a completely different story. They are caused by an overactive immune system. This means that our immune system mistakenly thinks that things that are harmless to our body, such as dust, pollen, certain foods, or pet dander, are a big enemy.
This mistaken idea starts a big fight against that harmless thing. At this point, the body releases chemicals like histamine. This is like setting off a big bomb to kill a small mosquito. These chemicals are what cause the inside of the nose to swell, the sneezing, the itchy eyes, and other allergy symptoms.
Allergies are not contagious . This means that you will not catch them from being around someone who has them. However, some people may inherit a tendency to develop allergies.
How do you know exactly the difference?
If you pay a little attention to what your symptoms are and how long they've been present, you can easily figure out which of the two you have. Let's see the differences clearly in this table.
| Characteristic / symptom | Common Cold | Allergy |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 3 to 14 days (less than 2 weeks) | Lasts for days to months (as long as exposure to the allergen is present) |
| Time of occurrence | Mostly in winter, but can happen at any time of the year. | Any time of year. Some allergies (e.g. pollen) appear seasonally. |
| Starting speed | Symptoms gradually appear a few days after contracting the virus. | Symptoms may begin immediately after exposure to the allergen. |
| Cough | Almost always there. | Sometimes there is. |
| Body pain | Sometimes there is. | Never. |
| Fatigue | Sometimes there is. | Sometimes there is. |
| Fever | Very rare (especially in adults). | Never. |
| Itchy, watery eyes | Very rarely. | Almost always. (This is a key feature) |
| Sore/itchy throat | Almost always there. | Sometimes there is. |
| Nasal congestion/runny nose | Almost always there. | Almost always there. |
What to do if you still can't figure it out?
This table can be hard to understand at times, but this is the biggest tip that will help you.
A cold usually lasts no more than 14 days, or two weeks.
So if you have symptoms like persistent coughing, sneezing, and nasal congestion for more than two weeks , it's most likely not a cold, but an allergy. Or it could be another health problem.
Imagine, every morning when you sweep the house, you start sneezing and rubbing your eyes. But after a while, it subsides. Then it starts again when you clean a room with old books. Maybe you are allergic to dust, dander, or your pet's fur. Even if you have a hard time recognizing this kind of pattern, a doctor can easily find it by asking you questions.
Therefore, if the symptoms persist, rather than taking your own decisions and taking medication, you should definitely see your family doctor for advice . He or she can examine you thoroughly, determine whether this is an allergy or something else, and prescribe the most appropriate treatment for you.
Take-Home Message
- A cold is caused by a virus. Allergies are caused by an over-reaction of our own immune system.
- Colds are contagious from one person to another, but allergies are never contagious.
- Symptoms like body aches and fever are usually only seen with a cold. Red, itchy, and watery eyes are common with allergies.
- The most important and easiest way to tell the two apart is the duration of symptoms. If symptoms persist for more than two weeks , it is most likely an allergy.
- If symptoms persist or you are unsure about your condition, be sure to seek medical advice.
💬 අදහස් (0)
තවමත් කිසිදු අදහසක් පළ කර නොමැත. ඔබේ අදහස පළමු වරට මෙහි එක් කරන්න.
ඔබේ අදහස එක් කරන්න