The distinction between a chilly and hay fever – take a look at the color of your mucus
Hay fever is an allergic response to pollen that may typically be mistaken as a summer season chilly.
But there are slight variations within the signs that may assist determine which one it’s, in response to Ghelani, together with the color of the mucus out of your nostril.
Is there a cough?
A cough is a standard symptom with each hay fever and colds, particularly so in case you are asthmatic.
She defined: “With hay fever the symptoms of the cough will be more of a dry cough with little mucus, that gets worse when the pollen count is high.
“With a chilly a chesty cough is commonly seen, with extra mucus. If you discover your signs are worse when you find yourself outside, then it’s prone to be hay fever inflicting the cough.”
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Do you have an itchy throat?
With hay fever itchiness of the nose, throat and eyes are common symptoms.
But if an itchy throat is soothed by sucking a lozenge, then it is likely that you have hay fever.
Ghelani advised: “With a chilly, it’s extra possible that you’re going to get a sore throat, that isn’t itchy.
“A blocked nose with a cold will mean that you breathe through the mouth more often leading to soreness and dryness of the throat.”
What color is the mucus out of your nostril?
A chilly is attributable to a virus an infection, the physique will attempt to battle this an infection by engulfing the virus with white blood cells, stated Ghelani.
She continued: “This leads to the colour of the mucus in the nostril being changed to yellow/green. In contrast, hay fever is an allergic reaction that results in the body producing more histamine – a chemical that helps protect the body against allergens. In this case, the nasal mucus is more likely to be clear in colour.
“Using a saline nasal spray, corresponding to Xlear nasal spray is good for both a chilly or hay fever because it helps to clear away allergens, viruses and micro organism which have entered the nasal passage.
“Saline water will also help to dislodge any thickened mucus, opening up the nasal passages and making it easier to breathe.”
The NHS recommends different methods to straightforward hay fever signs, corresponding to:
- put Vaseline round your nostrils to lure pollen
- put on wraparound sun shades to cease pollen entering into your eyes
- bathe and alter your garments after you’ve gotten been exterior to clean pollen off
- keep indoors at any time when attainable
- hold home windows and doorways shut as a lot as attainable
- vacuum repeatedly and dirt with a moist fabric
- purchase a pollen filter for the air vents in your automotive and a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter
- attempt to keep at house and keep away from contact with different folks in case you have a excessive temperature or you don’t really feel properly sufficient to do your regular actions
The well being physique additionally advises the most effective methods to deal with a chilly:
- relaxation and sleep
- drink loads of water (fruit juice or squash blended with water is OK) to keep away from dehydration
- gargle salt water to assuage a sore throat (not appropriate for kids)