Common colds, allergies, and even respiratory viruses all have symptoms in common that can cause a lot of confusion when they appear.
But it must be taken into account that in the case of allergic rhinitis, the allergen is the cause of the reaction and not contact with other patients.
It is not contagious, so hygiene measures are not required to prevent its spread.
Allergies occur when you come into contact with any allergen.
The most common are:
- pollen
- Mites
- animal epithelial cells
- emulsion,
- wasp sting
- Certain foods and certain medications.
Therefore, they are divided into seasonal (produced by inhaling pollen) and perennial (usually produced when people are allergic to mites and animal epithelium).
Difference from cold
Specialists explain that allergic rhinitis can appear at any age, but is more common in children and young adults.
This usually lasts shorter than a cold, lasting only a few hours in some cases. A cold may last from one week to ten days.
The main symptoms of allergies are nasal congestion and congestion, which can also occur with a cold, which can lead to incorrect treatment.
Rhinitis is a syndrome caused by inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasal passages.
Itchy and stuffy nose
In addition to nasal congestion, it is usually accompanied by nasal itching, sneezing, coughing, loss of smell and varying degrees of changes in general condition.
Mucus during allergies is more watery and clear, while mucus during a cold is thicker and yellowish.
General malaise and fever usually occur primarily with respiratory infections, so they are not allergy-related symptoms.
Symptoms of rhinitis
Experts list the differences between rhinitis. they are:
- nasal congestion
- Itchy nose
- sneeze
- dry cough
- Loss of smell
- tear
- Difficulty breathing
What to do if you have allergies
To confirm whether you have allergies and, most importantly, to find out which allergen is causing it, you should see your doctor and consider getting tested.
This is a skin test that replicates the reaction on the skin of your arm to check for the substance causing the allergic reaction.
After a reasonable period of time, observe which allergens caused the reaction. While they are not typically considered serious health problems, experts say, “These conditions, especially chronic ones, can seriously impact quality of life.”
Diagnosis is very important to avoid complications that may arise during the disease process.
(Text and photos: taken from Alimente y Ozonoterapia)