Pollen is everywhere. But do I have allergies or a cold?

Ah, spring. A clip of thawing and rebirth, of blooms bursting distant from frost. Days go longer, warmer and – ohio no, what’s this? A tickle successful your throat. Pressure gathering successful your sinuses. A runny nose. A sneeze. Another sneeze. Was determination ever a clip earlier sneezing?

But is it allergies oregon a cold? Beautiful arsenic springtime whitethorn be, the emerging greenery tin besides expel waves of allergens. So however tin you archer if your runny chemoreceptor is the effect of unruly pollen oregon a virus? Are you infectious oregon is your immune strategy overreacting to an extracurricular stimulus?

People often get the 2 confused, says Dr Jesse Bracamonte, a household doc with Mayo Clinic Family Medicine. In some cases, helium explains, determination is “nasal stuffiness, a runny chemoreceptor and sneezing”.

The “allergies oregon acold question” is present applicable for much of the year. As mean planetary temperatures rise, allergy seasons are getting longer and more intense. According to one study, betwixt 1990 and 2018, the US pollen play got 20 days longer and pollen attraction accrued by 21%. In the UK, the Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warns that pollen allergy season, which typically started astir March, could present commencement arsenic aboriginal arsenic January oregon February.

This twelvemonth whitethorn beryllium particularly brutal. Spring 2025 has already been called “the worst allergy play ever” successful the US, and in the UK, the Met Office warned of a “pollen bomb”, oregon a abrupt summation successful pollen levels.

So however tin you archer seasonal allergies from a cold? We asked experts to explain.

What are seasonal allergies?

Allergies hap erstwhile your body’s immune strategy overreacts to a substance that it thinks is dangerous, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Seasonal allergies, sometimes known arsenic hay fever oregon seasonal allergic rhinitis, impact astir one-quarter of adults successful the US and the UK. Symptoms thin to spike arsenic seasons alteration and plants merchandise pollens that nonstop susceptible immune systems into overdrive.

“In the spring, histrion pollen is the superior allergen,” says Dr Neeta Ogden, manager of the Allergy, Asthma and Sinus Center successful Edison, New Jersey, and spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. In the summer, she says, the superior allergen is writer pollen, and successful the fall, it tends to beryllium ragweed.

In the UK, according to the UKHSA, trees similar hazel and birch footwear disconnected allergy play successful the spring, followed by writer pollen from May until July. Weed pollen, specified arsenic dock and mugwort, usually floats astir from June to precocious autumn.

What is simply a cold?

“The ‘common cold’ typically refers to a microorganism that affects individuals during peculiar times of the year,” says Bracamonte.

Most commonly, helium says, the word refers to the rhinovirus, which tends to beryllium astir salient successful the outpouring and summertime months. He adds that different types of viruses, similar the flu oregon RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) tin besides effect successful cold-like symptoms.

How are acold and allergy symptoms different?

In the lawsuit of some colds and allergies, galore symptoms necessitate the sufferer to support plentifulness of insubstantial insubstantial connected manus owed to congestion, nasal discharge and sneezing. Experts besides accidental that some tin origin fatigue.

Still, determination are differences. Bracamonte notes that allergies thin to origin itchiness astir the eyes and successful the throat, portion a acold whitethorn origin a sore throat, but usually not itchiness.

If you consciousness similar you’re “swallowing glass”, Bracamonte says, “it’s astir apt a cold”.

Cold symptoms besides usually resoluteness themselves aft respective days, says Ogden, portion seasonal allergies “continue passim the season”.

A acold is besides infectious, portion allergies are not. A acold tin beryllium passed onto others done the air, oregon by droplets near down connected surfaces. “If you’re actively sneezing and having those symptoms, typically you’re contagious,” says Bracamonte.

In astir cases, helium says, a acold tin past anyplace from 3 to 7 days, though symptoms whitethorn past longer oregon beryllium much terrible for those who are older oregon person weakened immune systems.

What are the astir effectual treatments for seasonal allergies?

There are a assortment of ways to dainty seasonal allergies, says Ogden. She explains that saline chemoreceptor rinses tin chopped down connected mucus and rinse allergens from your nose. Eye drops tin assistance with reddish eyes and itchiness. And over-the-counter corticosteroid chemoreceptor sprays and antihistamines tin assistance trim galore allergy symptoms. For the latter, she recommends looking for a “long-acting, non-drowsy” variety.

Decongestants tin besides beryllium helpful, she says, though you should cheque with your doc earlier utilizing 1 if you person precocious humor pressure, glaucoma, thyroid illness oregon occupation urinating.

Ogden besides suggests downloading a pollen app “so you tin way pollen number and enactment indoors connected those precocious days”. And if your symptoms don’t amended with over-the-counter medicines, she recommends seeing a doctor.

What are the astir effectual treatments for a cold?

For astir steadfast individuals, Bracamonte says, the reply is beauteous straightforward: “Time, rest, staying hydrated and staying home.” It’s besides important to support distant from others, “so you don’t get them sick”.

Did you constitute this nonfiction due to the fact that you had a runny chemoreceptor for 3 days and you couldn’t archer if it was allergies oregon a cold?

Yes, and FYI, it was a cold.