An allergy is the body’s hypersensitivity to substances in the environment. Mold, dust, pollen, pet dander, and even some foods can cause allergic reactions. We live with allergies of various types year round in my house, sometimes I am on two medicines for allergy treatment, one in the morning, and one at night.
“Seasonal allergies are a reaction to small airborne substances. These allergens are small proteins that usually float around in the spring, summer and fall.” And for my family these come in the form of various pollens that have been known to make it difficult to breathe! When my son attended elementary school we would hang out at the playground after school almost every day. When the tress let go of their pollen, there was nothing that would relieve the itch in my throat! Allergies may last weeks or even months, whether you are under trees, or in the woods. Not to be mistaken for the common cold which rarely lasts longer than one week.
Colds vs. Allergies
Did you know that 35 million Americans suffer from allergies and don’t even know it? That’s because many people confuse the symptoms of spring allergies with a common cold. Here’s what you need to know about the two:
• The main difference between a cold and allergies is that a cold is caused by a viral infection while allergy symptoms are caused by your body’s own immune system’s attempt to fight off an allergen.
• If you start sniffling and coughing at the same time each year and your symptoms come on suddenly, it may be allergies.
• If you have a cough, it’s probably a cold. Most people with a cold will have a cough, but not everyone with allergies has this symptom.
• If you’re aching all over, it’s probably a cold, not allergies. Aches and pains are not symptoms of allergies.
• Itchy eyes are a common symptom of allergies but RARELY occur with the common cold!
• If you have a fever, it’s not allergies! A fever is sometimes present with a cold, but will never occur with allergies.
There is no cure for the common cold as of yet, but there are steps you can take to relieve the symptoms of allergies. For me, the first one would be to not stand under a tree that has pollen falling from it!
Saline solution run through the nasal passages has helped us. Another piece of advice came from my upstairs neighbor who’s daughter has long hair – she showers the minute she gets in the house as her hair tends to catch loads of pollen.
At MinuteClinic, their nurse practitioners and physicians assistants can recommend the right over-the-counter medications and write prescriptions when medically appropriate. They have also provided some further tips to help relieve your seasonal allergy symptoms:
1. At the minimum, shake off your clothes just before stepping into your home. Get any pollen particles off of your clothes, my neighbor needs a full shower (or a big haircut), but that is an extreme case!
2. Seasonal sniffling could be allergies, it may be time to stop treating them like a cold.
3. Did you know hair gel could be a pollen magnet? Skip the sticky stuff during allergy season for a little extra relief. My son is almost 12, this may be the time to pull back on the greaser look!
4. Window fans can bring pollen and mold spores, so use sparingly. We change the setting on our air conditioner so that it does not pull in air from the outside.
5. Did you know sunglasses can help protect you from pollen going into your eyes? I never thought of that!
6. Clean your sheets often. My son’s mattress is covered in plastic so that no allergens can get to him at night. And yes, I still clean his sheets often!
7. Visit the Minute Clinic for more seasonal allergy support!
Lastly, as I mentioned above, I take two different allergy medicines as approved by my doctor, so that they are not contraindicated. I still have to follow the above advice myself because when the air is thick with pollen, even the two pills are not enough. And ask anyone, my allergy sneezes are loud!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of the MinuteClinic at CVS.
It is also a good idea to wear a hat when outside to protect your hair.