Pass the tissue!
As someone who has suffered hay fever (or allergic rhinitis) my entire life, I can tell you it is NO fun! I can also tell you that sometimes it can be hard to tell if it's seasonal allergies or an impending illness, as there is quite a bit of overlap.
There are, however, some key differences. They can help determine if your family's sniffles are allergies or something else.
Symptoms of allergies
- Stuffy or runny nose with clear drainage
- Sneezing
- Itchy eyes and/or nose
- Sore throat
- Slight coughing
Signs of an allergy (in medicine, symptoms are what the patient experiences, while signs are what the physician sees):
- 'Allergic salute,' – because noses are often very itchy (believe me!), children (okay, and adults!) rub their noses upward and this can create a small horizontal crease at the tip of the nose
- 'Allergic shiners,' – those dark circles their eyes caused by congestion in the nasal passages
What you don’t see in allergies:
- Fevers
- Chills
- Body aches and pains
- Green or other color discharge from nose
- Coughing up phlegm
Of course, as always, if you are uncertain check with your physician!
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We have a lot of allergies around our house too! Blech!
We just picked up a Neti Pot, and my husband has been using it a lot. He thinks it is just amazing!
We are an allergy household, too. My 6 year old cannot tolerate any medications, though, so it's difficult for him. He tends to cough a great deal (from the drainage) and a few things have helped. Those nighlight/plug-in vapor strips, less bedding to trap pollens and dust, and daily hair washing (it's amazing how much pollen is in our hair).
This is so timely. I thought my daughter and I had weird colds – I'd slowly begun to consider allergies since I usually have hay fever in springy weather. Being from WA though, my allergies don't kick in until May or June; it finally occurred to me that the weather here in CA, where we moved this past fall, IS like the weather up north – just several months EARLY. Augh!
This confirmed it for me – THANKS!