SearchExclusive.com

Common Symptoms of Cold and Allergies You Should Know

Colds and allergies are two extremely common conditions, somewhat similar in nature and expression, and affect both children as well as adults of all ages. According to a survey published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is not at all uncommon for an adult to suffer from cold two to three times a year. This survey also correctly concludes that children are more likely to suffer from more frequent bouts of cold every year immune system is still developing.

Allergies as a condition are also very common in both children and adults. According to a survey, around 50 million people in the country suffer from allergies. Read on to know more about the symptoms that help provide a difference between these two conditions.

Cold and allergies are not the same
It is true that the symptoms of these two conditions are somewhat similar, but cold and allergies themselves are fundamentally different from one another. These two conditions have significantly different causes and outbursts and the cold and allergies symptoms vary in type as well as the duration for which they last. If the doctor correctly identifies the cause behind the symptoms, then appropriate and timely treatment can be undertaken.

Symptoms of a common cold
Despite the apparent similarities between cold and allergies’ symptoms, the essential differences between them would be best explained if one understands these conditions would be beneficial.

A cold, which is also known as “the common cold,” is, more often than not, caused by a virus and its symptoms show that. There are many different types of viruses which are responsible for causing a cold. While the symptoms and their severity may differ from individual to individual, all types of cold generally share some of the same basic characteristics. Here are some of the most common symptoms of cold:

A runny nose with mucus being constantly secreted by the inner glands of the nose
In addition to the most common symptoms of coughing and sneezing, cold symptoms can often include a sore throat and a stuffy nose
The cold which is more severe in nature also has the potential to cause headaches, fever, and body aches for a considerable span of time.
Headaches are accompanied by fever in some serious cases. This is often the first symptom that surfaces.
If these symptoms last more than a week or two, then there is a possibility that the virus may have contributed to a more serious infection, for instance, a sinus infection, pneumonia, or even bronchitis.
Randomly feeling hot or cold throughout the day and generic nausea.

Symptoms of allergies
Allergies can occur when any particular patient’s immune system has an adverse reaction to certain substances. These are often established right from a tender age and doctors advise patients to stay away from whatever they are allergic to. When someone is exposed to an allergy trigger, which is defined as an allergen, the patient’s immune system releases chemicals in the body known as histamines. The histamines, when released by the body, are what causes allergy symptoms.

These cold and allergy symptoms are common to both the diseases, but they are more obvious and common in the case of allergies:

Sneezing, especially continuously
Coughing
A sore throat
A runny nose
Nasal congestion
Watery eyes

Key differences between cold and allergy symptoms
Although cold and allergy symptoms may be similar, there are also many key differences. Sufferers should keep the following differences in mind when trying to identify whether they are experiencing the symptoms of a cold or an allergy:

If the eyes are itchy and watery, then those are often obvious signs that the symptoms have occurred due to an allergy.
A fever is a very common occurrence with a severe cold, especially in infants and children, but is not known as an allergy symptom.
A sore throat can occur when someone is suffering from allergies but it is a more common symptom with a cold.
Body aches are not a common occurrence in the case of allergies, but they might be common with a cold

Symptoms which are exclusive to that of a cold are as follows:

Fatigue and a pain in the body
Aches and pains
A sore throat and, at times, even a partially clogged throat

Symptoms which are exclusive to that of allergies are as follows:

Itchy eyes
Wheezing
Skin rashes, such as eczema or hives; these are common for a dermatological allergy

Thus, it is essential for all to understand the differences between the symptoms of these two apparently similar diseases. It is not desirable for any patient to be diagnosed with some disease which he or she does not have. Therefore, it is important for both the patient and the doctor concerned to analyze the symptoms carefully and then follow a treatment path.

Related Reading

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Most of the dogs do not have a food fuss and may eat almost anything that you feed them. Dogs are not choosy at all when it comes to food and nutrition. Hence, it is important to make sure that the food that you are purchasing for your dog is healthy. The landscape of dog food has been developing by leaps and bounds in recent times. There is a wide variety of options to choose from in the online and offline market. Given the wide range of options that are available today, buying the best dog food might seem to be a confusing task indeed. All the commercial pet food that is available in the market today is regulated by the FDA. Therefore, most of the products do contain nutritious, healthy, and safe ingredients. But it does help to know certain basic factors you should look for while buying food for your dog. Prioritize on the nutritional guarantee The best dog food, which meets the dog’s needs adequately has a statement written on the label of the product, from the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Buy from some of the best dog food brands, such as Fromm Family Foods, Earthborn Holistic, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and The Honest Kitchen.

Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

The most important aspect when designing your kitchen is deciding on the type of cabinets. In addition to functionality, kitchen cabinets score on aesthetics as well. Once the layout is planned, you can go ahead with choosing the cabinets. If you’re remodeling your home or just the kitchen, what you need to consider are the types of cabinets that furnish your kitchen. Here are a few types of kitchen cabinets that you can choose from. Base cabinets These kitchen cabinets are mounted on the floor and they are placed after checking out the floor plan. A major part of your job in the kitchen is on these base cabinets, which hold and support the countertops. These base cabinets are combined to carve out kitchen islands. A number of base cabinets are fused/set against one another and installed on site. The base cabinets, in addition to supporting the countertops, serve as drawers to hold your cutlery and appliances. Wall cabinets Mounted on the walls, these cabinets can store everything, right from your cookware to cookbooks. In terms of design, they offer utmost flexibility. Wall cabinet kitchen is available in varying heights, multiple widths, and custom depth options. This customization helps you to fit in your stuff of varying shapes and sizes into the wall cabinets.

How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

In today’s world, where you are presented with over a dozen choices for every item you would purchase for your own kitchen, it is not surprising that you have an equal number of options for your dog’s food. However, choosing the perfect brand and formula for your dog out of a range of options in the market is not an easy job. Your pet depends on you and trusts you to make the right choice for them. Therefore, it is imperative that you do your research about the products available in the market, understand what your dog needs, know what might be your pet’s problems, and then make a sound decision. What is a sensitive stomach? Dogs are known to have voracious and large appetites. Keeping that in mind, it is normal to assume that they have strong stomachs. They can eat close to anything be it sweets, bakes, chewy gum, hard leather or even woolen socks for that matter! It always so happens that the strongest of them are prone to allergies and can develop a disorder which is medically translated as a sensitive stomach. This might be due to a sudden change in the food habits or even due an infection picked up from somewhere.

All You Need to Know about Cat Food

For cat owners, cat food is a hot topic. You need to think about it in different aspects. The best thing is to know which ingredients are good for cat food and which are harmful. If you are aware of this, you can get an idea about the quality of the cat food just by going through the label. It is always sensible to stick to one brand of cat food. However, you may also want to try and prepare cat food yourself. There are also various options for wet cat food as well. Cat’s love for fish is universal, so you can do without going for expensive cat food. Nevertheless, whether you buy it or prepare cat food at home, you need to ensure that the food contains enough nutrition and calories. You would need to have some idea about the ingredients that must be present in cat food and make a worthy selection for your cat. Basic ingredients present in good cat foods Cats need a variety of nutrients to stay healthy and active; they need various vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and oils. The following is a brief explanation of the basic ingredients that should be present in cat foods.