Does
your child suffer from allergies? What are the differences
between allergies and the common cold? Sometimes it is hard
to tell, even for adults!
Allergy vs. Cold
by Marsha Ladner, R.N.
Ireland Army Community Hospital, Fort Knox, Ky.
Article is from the Army
Medicine web page.
Allergies
come in many forms. Hay fever is the most common allergy, with its
symptoms of itchy, watery eyes; sneezing; a runny, stuffy or itchy
nose; temporary loss of smell; headache; and tiredness. Dark circles
under the eyes (allergic shiners) or postnasal drip may also accompany
hay fever.
A
child with allergies may snore, wake up with a sore throat, breathe
through the mouth, and frequently rub the nose. Allergy symptoms are
often like cold symptoms, but usually last longer.
The
most common causes of allergies are particles in the air, such as
pollen, dust mites, mold, mildew or animal dander. Allergies seem
to run in families. Parents with hay fever often have children with
allergies. Hay fever usually develops in the early teens, but can
occur at any age.
You
can often discover the cause of an allergy by noting when symptoms
occur. Symptoms that occur at the same time each year (especially
during late spring, early summer or early fall) are often due to grass,
weed or tree pollen. Allergies that seem to persist all year long
may be due to dust mites in household dust, mold spores or animal
dander. Animal allergies are often easy to detect. Staying away from
the animal clears up the symptoms.
There
is no practical prevention for hay fever. Avoiding the substance that
causes allergy attacks will help. If you can discover the source of
your allergies, avoiding that substance is the best treatment. Keep
a record of your symptoms and the plants, animals, foods or chemicals
that seem to trigger them.
If
your symptoms are seasonal and seem to be related to pollen:
