Allergies vs. the common cold: How to tell the difference

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – If your allergy medication isn’t working as well as it used to, doctors say you may not be treating your symptoms properly.

It’s often hard to tell if your runny nose and itchy eyes are symptoms of seasonal allergies or a cold. The list of symptoms is almost identical for both and if you can’t determine which you are suffering from, it’s difficult to treat those symptoms.

Pediatricians at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital said the difference is really in some small details. Doctors said that nasal discharge for allergy patients is usually clear and has the consistency of watery mucus, while patients who have colds usually have yellowish mucus discharge.

If you are suffering from allergies there are some way to combat symptoms.

• Keep the windows at home and in your car closed to keep allergens and pollen out.
• Change your air conditioner filters monthly.
• Minimize outdoor activities during the early morning hours when pollen counts are the highest.
• After outdoor activities, change your clothes and wash your hands and face.
• Take your allergy medication daily during pollen season, not just when symptoms pop up.

According to Pollen.com, the pollen count is predicted to be at high levels in Indiana Thursday and will rise Friday and Saturday before dropping off a little Sunday. A pollen count is the measurement of the number of grains of pollen in a cubic meter of air.