While allergy symptoms and cold symptoms share some similarities, there are also critical differences that enable sufferers to tell the difference easily and quickly. Whether you have an allergy or a cold, neither condition can be "cured" by medication, but most people can manage the symptoms using over-the-counter or prescription medication.
Time Frame
Allergies typically follow a seasonal pattern, while colds may occur anytime. Season allergy symptoms appear most often in the spring and fall during peak pollen season. Colds may occur any time of the year but are more likely during the winter months when people spend a great deal of time indoors, which makes it easier to come into contact with cold viruses.
Features
Certain telltale symptoms make it easier to decide if it's a cold or an allergy. Itchy, red eyes are characteristic of allergies, while coughs and fevers are characteristic of colds. The features of a cold often including sore throat, fever, body aches, fatigue, runny noses, sinus congestion or pressure, and cough.
Prevention/Solution
There's no sure way to prevent either allergies or colds. Since colds are transmitted by viruses, frequent hand washing and avoiding people who are sick with a cold may help prevent contracting the virus that causes the cold. To prevent symptoms of allergies, minimize exposure to pollen allergens during peak season. Close windows at home and in the car and use the air conditioner, which filters out pollen particles, and avoid outdoor activities during the daytime during peak pollen season.
Causes
Another difference between colds and allergies is the root cause of each. The common cold is caused by one of many different viruses, and the body's immune system fights the virus over the course of five to 10 days. Symptoms generally disappear within two weeks unless a secondary infection, such as bronchitis, appears. Allergies are caused by the body's own immune response to substances such as pollen, pet dander or foods. Symptoms disappear when the allergen is removed.
Misconceptions
Many people believe that they can "catch" an allergy, which is not true. Allergies are the body's own unique response to a substance called an allergen; they can't be transmitted from person to person.
