A 49-year-old member asked:
how would i know if this is allergies or cold?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Michael Zacharisen answered
Allergy and Immunology 33 years experience
Duration of symptoms: The common cold will last 5-7 days. Allergies will last days, weeks, months, or years and timing is by seasons or exposures. With allergies there is more itching, sneezing and the runny nose is clear. With allergies, frequently there is eye itching, watery or redness. Allergies respond to antihistamines such as zyrtec, claritin, (loratadine) allegra, etc and colds don't.
5170 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
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Similar questions
A 31-year-old member asked:
How do you know if you have a ketchup allergy?
1 doctor answer • 17 doctors weighed in
Dr. Barbara Stark Baxter answered
Allergy and Immunology 42 years experience
Allergic symptoms: Symptoms of food allergies can range from itching of the lips, tongue, palate or throat to GI upset with nausea, vomiting, cramping, bloating, or diarrhea, to headache, nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy eyes, puffy eyes, itchy ears, itchy skin, hives, rashes, to cough, asthma, flushing, shock or rarely, joint pains. One could be tested to components like tomato, or do a prick test w/the food.
5728 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
How can I mitigate the effects of my allergies?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Anthony LaBarbera answered
Pediatrics 28 years experience
See below: Use of allegra, zyrtec, or claritin (loratadine). For eye symptoms, you can try zatidor , vizine for allergies, or naphcon a.
5728 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Keegan Duchicela commented
Family Medicine 14 years experience
Great answer. I would add showering before bed, rinsing out the nose and even using a neti pot - especially if you've been outside doing sports, mowing lawn, gardening, etc. Just so you're not going to bed with dirt, allergens still on your body.
Jul 13, 2012
A 32-year-old member asked:
How can I get help treating my allergies?
1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Steven Machtinger answered
Allergy and Immunology 44 years experience
Lots of resources: Start with family members who have allergies. I like to say that "noses run in families" (allergy joke). So who's helping them with their allergies? Next your primary care physician - a trustworthy, knowledgeable resource. You can call your county medical society for names or find an allergist at www.Aaaai.Org & www.Acaai.Org. Think twice about those who advertise.
5722 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
How would you know th difference between allergies and a cold?
1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Stevan Cordas answered
Internal Medicine 57 years experience
Cold or allergy?: It is not always easy but allergies persist longer that 7 to 10 days. Allergies are hereditary and often specific things trigger an allergy or a specific season.
5194 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:
How can I know if this is a cold, the flu, or allergies?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Heidi Fowler answered
Psychiatry 25 years experience
Med eval can: Differentiate. In general, the flu will cause you to feel more ill than a cold will. Flu sxs can include fever, marked aching of muscles and joints ; significant fatigue (if these symptoms did occur with a common cold they would usually be less intense). Colds tend to lead to more nasal congestion than the flu. Allergies should not carry a fever, the aching, severity of sxs ; occur with triggers.
4492 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
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Last updated Sep 28, 2016
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