HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COLD, AN ALLERGY, AND A SINUS INFECTION

01/13/12

Symptoms of a viral upper respiratory infection (cold):
Symptoms of a cold include 5-10 days of nasal stuffiness, drainage, or both. There may or may not be some associated cough. Usually, cold symptoms improve within 10 days, but may not be completely cleared. At, first, nasal drainage tends to be watery and clear. Then, may be thick and discolored, yellow and green. Finally, discharge tends to clear once again. There may be some fever, aching muscles, hoarseness and headaches or dizziness associated with colds. Often, there are other people in the family or environment with the same or similiar symptoms because colds are contagious. Treatment of the common cold includes:

• Nasal decongestants in pills or liquids such as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)
• Over-the-counter nasal sprays which can be used for 3 days only, then stop use.
• Plenty of rest and fluids such as water, juice or chicken soup.
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol) for headache, fever, muscle aches.
• Antibiotics are NOT necessary or helpful.

Symptoms of sinusitis or sinus infections:
Suspect sinusitis when cold symptoms have lasted for more than 10 days without any signs of improvement. Nasal drainage is usually discolored, but may be clear. Cough is often present and may be worse at night when first lying down or when getting up in the morning. Facial pain, dizziness, hoarseness, or headaches may be present. When there is a headache, it is generally worse in the morning upon getting up and improves during the day. Symptoms of a more severe form of acute sinusitis include, high fever with a temperature greater that 102 degrees Farenheit; severe headache over and behind the eyes, nasal blockage with mouth-breathing, sore throat, bad breath, fatigue, irritability, and difficulty sleeping. Sinus x-rays may be necessary. Treatment of sinus infections includes:

• Nasal decongestants in pills or liquids such as pseudoephedrine (Sudafed)
• Over-the-counter nasal sprays which can be used for 3 days only, then stop use.
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol) for headache or fever.
• Use of antibiotic until the person is free of symptoms for one week.

Symptoms of allergies:
With nasal allergies, there is usually lots of clear, watery discharge. Sometimes the drainage may be thick and discolored. The nose also may be stuffy or congested with lots of itching and sneezing. Eyes also may be itchy. Headache may be present, but is usually less in the morning and gradually gets worse later in the day. There is no fever present and symptoms are almost always on both sides. There is often a family history of allergy and a seasonal pattern to symptoms, such as Spring and Fall. Treatment of allergies includes:

• Avoid or control whatever causes symptoms to get worse.
• Use medications such as antihistamines, cromolyn nose sprays or corticosteroid nose sprays to control or prevent symptoms.
• Take allergy injections to decrease the allergic sensitivity.

We at Kansas City Allergy & Asthma are specialists in the treatment of allergy problems of all types. If you have cold symptoms, these should be treated at home symptomatically as outlined above. A call or visit to the doctor is rarely required. If you believe you or your child has a complIcation of the cold such as sinus or ear infection, then it is nearly always most appropriate to call your primary care doctor for treatment of the infection.