Feeling tired and run down with a runny nose? Are you wondering if your symptoms are a cold or perhaps a pollen allergy?
It's not always easy to distinguish between a cold and a pollen allergy. The symptoms can often be similar, but there are some things that set them apart.
Typical reactions to pollen allergy:
Irritated eyes
The eyes become red and irritated. They itch and water.
Blocked/Runny nose
Your nose may feel blocked or you may have a runny nose. It's not uncommon for both your nose and throat to itch. The nasal passages can feel sensitive.
Sneezing
You sneeze violently and often several times in a row.
Fatigue
You feel drained, listless, and tired.
Breathing difficulties
It can feel difficult to breathe freely. Your breath may wheeze, and you may suffer from persistent coughing.
Rashes and eczema
You get itchy eczema on sensitive areas of the skin.
Symptoms you do NOT get with allergies – but with a cold:
Sore throat
Fever
Thick mucus
Cold or allergic?
It can be so difficult to distinguish cold symptoms from allergic symptoms, even with a checklist like the one above. The reason for the difficulty is that our immune system reacts similarly to both colds and allergies.
When we get a virus, our immune system starts fighting the virus. When this happens, we experience symptoms such as fatigue, runny nose, irritated throat, swollen mucous membranes, and coughing.
When we experience an allergic reaction to, for example, pollen, our immune system is also activated. Our immune system starts its protective work because it overreacts to the proteins in pollen. The body simply believes that pollen is something dangerous that can harm us and therefore starts producing histamine. Histamine, in turn, gives us allergic reactions such as fatigue, irritated eyes, runny nose, and sneezing.
Pollen allergy and colds thus produce similar symptoms because the immune system reacts similarly to both viruses and pollen.
A cold usually does not last longer than 2 weeks before it starts to subside. Pollen allergy causes symptoms as long as there are allergenic substances in the air where you are. A cold often means you get a sore throat and fever, which are not typical reactions to allergies.
If you have felt a bit under the weather for more than two weeks with the symptoms listed above, it is therefore more likely that you have a pollen allergy than that you have caught a lingering cold.
Reduce the discomfort of pollen allergy
There are good and effective over-the-counter medicines that can help you with pollen allergy. You can also secure your home during pollen season to alleviate the symptoms:
Change clothes when you've been outside
Pollen sticks and is carried indoors via our clothes and shoes.
Shower before going to bed
Rinse pollen from hair and skin.
Pet fur
Remember that pet fur carries large amounts of pollen into your home. In fact, many people who think they are allergic to pet dander are actually allergic to pollen.
Closed windows during the day
Keep windows closed during the day and instead ventilate during the night and dawn, when there is the least pollen in the air.
Air purifier in the bedroom
With a good air purifier in the bedroom, you can create a pollen-free zone in your home. This gives you better sleep and can act as a much-needed oasis when pollen symptoms are at their worst.
Medicate preventively
Allergy medication works best if you take it before you start experiencing symptoms. Therefore, always keep an eye on the pollen report during spring, summer, and late summer.
