Does Your Child Have Allergies? Or is it Just a Cold? - 3 Ways to Find Out

Allergies and colds have many common symptoms, but since they have different treatments, it's important to be able to tell the difference between the two. So if your kid has a stuffed up nose, other sinus congestion, watery eyes, and can't stop sneezing or coughing, how do you know if it's allergies or just a cold?

*Symptoms*

The Boys Town Asthma and Allergy Hospital lists the following as an allergy-specific set of symptoms:

* Cold symptoms that last for more than two weeks
* Chronic cough
* Clear mucus (as opposed to yellow or green)
* Stuffy nose and congestion
* Red, itchy eyes
* Dark circles under eyes

These symptoms, all at once, indicate an allergy to a food, animal, mold, or medication rather than a common cold. Allergies are often accompanied by digestive problems and skin irritations, as well, and usually make people more susceptible to ear infections and asthma.

The most significant thing to pay attention to is duration. Children can suffer from untreated allergies for years because their parents just assume it's a cold and don't take note of how long it's lasted. The cold virus usually settles down after a week, so if your kid is still sick after 7-10 days, she's probably suffering from allergies. Some allergies do last for short periods of time, though, so also note the time of year when diagnosing your kid. Short bouts of watery eyes, congestion and sneezing are common in the spring because of the pollen-filled air.

*Home Testing*

To further determine what exactly your child is allergic to, you can conduct some home experiments to figure it out. Think about the possible allergens your child often comes into contact with and try decreasing or, ideally, completely removing it from their lives. Do this one at a time with the different possible causes and watch for a decrease in allergy symptoms.

You can also decrease the amount of general allergens in your home by simply vacuuming once a week with a high quality vacuum, washing bed linens in hot water, washing your pets regularly and replacing furnace filters every couple of months. These are all basic home cleaning practices that will help keep your house free of various bacteria and dust that often cause allergic reactions.

*Allergist*

If you can't figure it out on your own or if your child needs immediate relief, go to an allergy specialist. Allergists have tests they can run to determine pretty much any allergy out there and are sure to track down what is affecting your child. Your appointment will be most effective if you think ahead of time about when your child's symptoms are most severe, when they first appeared, what tends to relieve them, and what allergens he may be coming in contact with regularly.

It's useful to keep a diary of symptoms over a few days or a week to accurately track what is happening for your child. Whether you home test or see a health practitioner, this will be valuable information for them in helping to diagnose your child correctly. Taking the time to do this can prevent incorrect treatments being recommended for your child and increase their overall wellbeing.