It is that kind of weather again… I am waking up feeling the itch in my throat followed by bouts of sneezing. It is such a wretched thing to feel like this early in the morning and believe me, till the summer does not make its presence felt, I am going to go around with a runny nose and watery eyes.
The reason for this is because of the pollens in the air. The cool, summery breeze brings with it these troublesome grains which settle into one’s system, leading to runny nose, bouts of sneezing and general feeling of being unwell. Trees like oak, olive, elm, birch, cypress, walnut and more, start to pollinate any time between January and April. And pollen grains from these trees can cause severe allergies.
Sometimes an allergy is mistaken for the common cold and therefore, treated inappropriately. Symptoms of an allergy can be quite different from the common cold. For example, allergy is not always accompanied by cough whereas it is quite common with an ordinary cold. Someone suffering from an allergy does not experience body ache while this can be a symptom of a cold. What can make an allergy stand out are the itchy and watery eyes which are not experienced by someone suffering from cold. Runny nose can be common with both but allergy is rarely ever accompanied by fever but cold can bring with it a rise in body temperature, too. Whereas sore throat is common with cold, it is not so with allergy. A typical cold would last 3-4 days but an allergy may go into weeks, and sometimes till the end of the pollinating season.
It is essential to differentiate between the two because the treatment would depend accordingly. Although in both cases antihistamines may work, in cold there could be a need to give anti-inflammatory medications, too.
There are many products that have been designed to provide relief from allergy. On this site, itself you will find a wide variety of allergy relief items which you can check out, if requried.