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You usually notice it as you pour your morning coffee. The guy in the next cubicle or office doesn't sound so good. He's coughing and sniffling as he types away, hoping you won't notice. You ask him if he's doing okay, even though you know what he's going to say.
"I'm great. It's just allergies," he says with a hoarse voice in between coughing fits. But you already know: He probably has a cold or flu.
Those "allergies" turn out to be the flu, and before you know it, you're burning four sick days (or worse, vacation days) because Larry refused to go to the doctor. Don't be that guy.
I asked Dr. Natalie Dryden, primary care physician at Houston Methodist, for advice on how to distinguish between a cold or flu and allergies — and when you really need to see a doctor.
"Distinguishing between allergies and a cold or flu isn't always easy," says Dr. Dryden. "While colds and the flu are infectious illnesses caused by viruses. and allergies are an immune response to some environmental trigger, the body often has overlapping and similar responses, so symptoms can be similar as well."
5 signs that can help you decide if it's a cold or flu
1. Fever. The flu generally causes high fever fairly consistently, while viral colds don't often cause fever. And if they do, it's generally a low-grade fever. Allergies should never cause fever.
2. Body aches. Aches and pains tend to be very pronounced with the flu — and while they can occur with a common cold, they're typically mild. Body aches are not common with allergies.
3. Cough. A flu cough tends to be more severe than the type of cough that accompanies a cold. Like a fever and body aches, a cough is much less common with allergies.
4. Runny nose. Nasal drainage can occur during a cold or flu, as well as with allergies.
5. Sore throat. Throat irritation and pain is common with colds and flu. Typically, people with allergies report having an itchy throat and not actual pain.
The time of year can also help you decide
Keeping an eye on the seasons may clue you in on what may be going on.
While all three conditions can occur year-round, flu season typically occurs fall through spring in the U.S. If you're wondering if it's cold or flu season, check our flu tracker to see the current number of cold and flu cases.
Common colds occur most often in the winter, while allergies tend to occur with changes in the season, depending on what an individual is allergic to. Some people (like me, sadly) have allergies year-round.
Allergy symptoms tend to last as long as a person is exposed to an allergen or trigger, while viral infections will usually last between a few days to two weeks.
When in doubt, stay home
The next time you feel an itchy throat and dull body aches coming on with a fever, consider what might be ailing you before you go to work and risk getting your coworkers sick. Visit a doctor right away (you can even see a doctor online now). Your office mates will appreciate it and you'll be back on your feet faster.
And it's always a good idea to practice behaviors that help protect yourself from the flu, as well as to make sure to get your annual flu shot and wash your hands regularly, especially during flu season.
During cold and flu season, it's a pretty safe bet that congestion, sneezing, and a runny nose are signs you're coming down with something. But when trees are blossoming or their leaves are falling, how can you tell if you have a cold or just allergies?
It's a common question, said Purvi Parikh, MD, an allergist and immunologist with Allergy & Asthma Network and Allergy & Asthma Associates of Murray Hill in New York City, and a tricky one, even for healthcare providers. The symptoms, especially when mild, can be nearly identical, Dr. Parikh told us.
That's why we talked to three experts to figure out exactly how to distinguish allergy symptoms from signs of a cold.
RELATED: 9 Signs It's More Serious Than the Common Cold
Your Mucus Is Clear
"In the beginning, both colds and allergies will cause a clear, liquid mucus," explained David Rosenstreich, MD, director of the division of allergy and immunology in the department of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center in New York. "As the symptoms go on, with a cold you start getting a thicker, yellow mucus, whereas usually with allergies mucus always stays clear and watery."
Your Cough Is Dry
Both allergies and colds can have a dry cough. However, there's usually one telltale difference: If you happen to be living through the unpleasant scenario of coughing up mucus after having a dry cough, you probably have a cold. "Even if the mucus is clear, you're more likely in the cold arena," Dr. Parikh said. "Usually allergies have a dry cough"—exclusively.
Allergies might also cause some throat irritation, but usually not too much pain. "People with a cold will often develop a sore throat, and that's almost never seen with an allergy," said Dean D. Metcalfe, MD, chief of the laboratory of allergic diseases at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Your Eyes Are Itchy and Watery
While you might notice some redness or discomfort around your eyes when you're sick with a cold, it's more likely that allergies are causing eye symptoms like watering and itching, Dr. Rosenstreich said.
Your nose and throat might feel itchy with a cold, said Dr. Metcalfe, but a cold usually doesn't affect the eyes. Allergies may also cause some swelling around the eyes, added Dr. Parikh.
9 Reasons Your Eyes Are So Watery–and What to Do About It
Your Symptoms Linger
A cold will typically run its course after three to five days on average, Dr. Parikh said, or maybe hang around for a little more than a week. Allergy symptoms—especially with continuous exposure to allergens—can last for much longer.
On the other hand, if you're able to move away from the allergen triggering your symptoms—much easier if the offending agent is someone else's pet, for example, rather than pollen that's everywhere, Dr. Metcalfe said—you might feel nearly instantly better. That simply won't happen if you have a cold.
You Notice a Seasonal Pattern
If you're the type of person who knows they get the same cold every March, it might be time to reconsider what the culprit actually is. "If you notice it's seasonal like clockwork, and every spring or fall you get these symptoms, it might be allergy-related," Dr. Parikh said.
That holds true even if your seasonal symptoms occur earlier than you might think of as allergy season, Dr. Rosenstreich said. "In the Northeast, for example, most people are not aware of the fact that the trees begin to pollinate even when there's still snow on the ground. Depending on the weather, people can have allergy symptoms in February."
The Seasonal Allergy Symptoms You Should Know About, According to an Allergist
You Don't Spike a Fever
Colds (and of course the flu) are much more likely to cause fever than allergies, although it is possible for severe allergies to elevate your body temperature, Dr. Rosenstriech said. "Fever virtually never happens with allergies," Dr. Metcalfe added.
You Can Get Out of Bed
Do you hurt all over and have to lie down? You probably have a cold. While allergies can certainly make you feel tired and run down, colds (or the flu) are more likely to cause the aches and pains that send you straight to bed, Dr. Parikh said.
How To Treat Colds vs. Allergies
Since the symptoms of colds and allergies are similar, so will their treatments. "For most run-of-the-mill allergy or cold symptoms, the treatments are about the same, so it really doesn't matter too much if you try to tell them apart," Dr. Rosenstreich said.
The main difference is that allergies won't affect others. "With a cold, you probably don't want to go into work and make everyone else sick, whereas with allergies, people will just tell you not to come near them, but you're not actually contagious," Dr. Rosenstreich explained.
Both allergy and cold treatments are what's called symptomatic, Dr. Rosenstreich added, meaning they won't make the issue go away. They'll only treat the symptoms that are making you miserable. Experts typically recommend over-the-counter oral decongestants and antihistamines as well as nasal sprays to reduce inflammation and congestion in both cases, Dr. Parikh said.
If you've got a cold—or another virus—that's causing body aches or a fever, you might also want to try something to ease the pain and lower your temperature, like acetaminophen or aspirin, Dr. Metcalfe added. (If you have asthma, you may also need to use your inhaler to treat coughing or wheezing, which could be triggered by both colds and allergies.)
While getting plenty of rest can help you get over a cold, it won't do much for allergies. However, be sure to drink plenty of fluids, no matter your issue. "Dehydration makes allergies and colds worse," Dr. Parikh said. "Fluids help relieve congestion."
Finally, if you think you have more than just a cold or more than just allergies, always make it a point to see your healthcare provider for medical care and advice.