Spring Colds (elfje)

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Leaky Nose
Four Years Old
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Common Colds can be caused by over 200 different viruses. These viruses can enter your body when you come in contact with a person who is already sick with a virus. Since most cold viruses are spread through respiratory droplets, covering coughs and sneezes and proper hand washing are extremely important to prevent spreading your cold to others around you.

When your immune system recognizes that there is a cold virus present, it begins to attack it. Your body experiences “side effects” of this attack, like congestion and cough. When your immune system successfully fights off the virus, symptoms resolve. Most colds will last 5 to 7 days.

Allergies, unlike colds, are not contagious.  They are caused by exposure to allergens; such as dust, dander, mold, or pollen. When your immune system senses a specific allergen it is sensitive to, chemicals called histamines are released. These histamines trigger symptoms like runny nose, coughing, and sneezing. Since your immune system has no way of fighting off the allergens, symptoms caused by allergies tend to last much longer than symptoms from a common, viral cold.

Differences between a cold and allergies:

Characteristics	Cold	Allergy
Duration	3-14   days	Days to months, as long as there is continued exposure to the allergen
Time of   Year	Commonly during the winter, but possible at any time.	Any time of year, but some allergens appear seasonally.
Onset of   Symptoms	A few days after infection with a virus	Immediately after exposure to the allergen.
Symptoms	Cold	Allergy
Cough	Often	Sometimes
Aches	Sometimes	Never
Fatigue	Sometimes	Sometimes
Fever	Sometimes	Never
Itchy.  watery eyes	Rarely	Often
Sore Throat	Often	Sometimes
Runny or  stuffy nose	Often (usually thicker discharge)	Often (usually thinner discharge)

Thank you to PhysicianOne Urgent Care Website

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