SATURDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- It can be difficult during
the spring months for parents to determine whether their children
have a cold or seasonal allergies, but an expert outlines how to
tell the difference.
"Runny, stuffy or itchy noses; sneezing; coughing; fatigue; and headaches can all be symptoms of both allergies and colds, but when parents pay close attention to minor details they will be able to tell the difference," Dr. Michelle Lierl, a pediatric allergist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said in a hospital news release.
"Children who have spring or fall allergies have much more itching of their noses; they often have fits of sneezing and usually rub their noses in an upward motion," she explained. "They also complain about an itchy, scratchy throat or itchy eyes, whereas with a cold, they don't."
When people have allergies, their nasal discharge is usually
clear and has the consistency of watery mucus, while those with
colds typically have yellowish mucus discharge, Lierl said.
She recommended that children with seasonal allergy symptoms be
tested for environmental allergens -- such as pollen -- that are
present during seasons when they have symptoms, but not tested for
food allergies or allergens present during seasons when children
don't have symptoms.
If your child has seasonal allergies, Lierl suggested many
things you can do to control symptoms:
- Keep windows closed during periods of high pollen and fungal
spore levels, and change air conditioner filters every month.
- Change children's clothing when they come inside from outdoors.
Wash clothing to rid them of all outdoor allergens.
- After being outside, children should wash their face, hands and
hair, and parents should use a nonprescription saline solution to
rinse children's eyes and nose.
- Limit outdoor activity in the morning, when pollen counts are
higher. When traveling, keep vehicle windows closed to keep pollen
and other allergens out.
- Make sure children take their allergy medicine daily during
pollen season.
More information
The American Academy of Pediatrics has more about
seasonal allergies in children.