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Colds

Allergy or Cold?


Author:

Marion Richman, MD

New York Presbyterian-Columbia

Medical Reviewer:

Stephen Ritz, DO

Medically Reviewed On: December 04, 2002

Treatment options for allergies are a little broader. You can use the over-the-counter cold remedies, but, the non-sedating antihistamines are a mainstay of allergy treatment. Steroids, which help reduce inflammation, are also used. They can be sprayed into the nose, or taken orally for short term relief. There are also allergy shots, or immunotherapy that exposes a person to the allergen in order to increase their tolerance to that substance. Allergy shots are usually reserved for people who have severe allergies.

At what point should a person with congestion, runny nose and sneezing see a doctor?
If it's a cold, it's usually going to follow a time course of about 7 to 10 days. If you've had a cold for a month, you should go see a doctor. If you have a temperature of over 101°F for three days or more, or if you develop pain in your ear, throat, sinuses or teeth, you could be getting an infection, and should see a doctor. If there's any trouble breathing, you should go to the emergency room immediately.

Children also suffer from allergies and colds, and have similar allergy symptoms to adults. Allergies are rare in kids under 3 years old. But in older children, if they're getting recurrent ear infections or hearing problems, then you might want to see the child's doctor, and inquire if the problem might be related to an allergy.

However, a fever is definitely a warning sign of something more serious. Allergies don't usually cause a fever, so if your child does have a fever or if they're complaining of any kind of pain or having any trouble breathing, then they should see a doctor. If they're not eating or drinking as much as they usually do or not going to the bathroom, those are definite reasons to come to the doctor immediately.

What are some of the treatments available for children with cold or allergy?
Richman feels that with young children, over-the-counter medicines for colds, and even the prescription ones, are not that effective, and using these medications are not worth the risk of side effects. Toughing it out is a better approach to a child's cold.

In terms of allergies, there are some non-sedating antihistamines that are approved for children as young as 2 years of age, and they come in syrup form or they come in dissolvable tablets that go under the tongue. For the kids that truly have allergies, those treatments are out there for them, and do help.

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