Is it a cold, sinus or allergies?

Posted Feb 6 2013 by MZach17 in Allergy with 0 Comments

Let’s face it. You feel miserable with a stuffy nose, nasal discharge and cough. But what is it? There are overlapping symptoms between the common viral cold, sinus infections and allergic rhinitis (aka hay fever).

This little chart can assist in sorting out the problem:

Sign/Symptom	Sinus Infection	Allergy	Cold
Facial Pressure/ Pain	Yes	Sometimes	Sometimes
Duration of Illness	Over 10-14 days	Varies	Under 10 days
Nasal Discharge	Thick, yellow-green	Clear, thin, watery	Thick, white or thin
Fever	Sometimes	No	Sometimes
Headache	Sometimes	Sometimes	Sometimes
Upper Tooth Pain	Sometimes	No	No
Bad Breath	Sometimes	No	No
Cough	Sometimes	Sometimes	Yes
Nasal Congestion	Yes	Sometimes	Yes
Sneezing	No	Often	Yes

While this information helps, if your symptoms are worsening, severe or persistent, call your doctor or Dr. Zacharisen at Family Allergy & Asthma Care of Montana and schedule an appointment. Relief is available!

This educational information does not take the place of your physician’s advice.