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Distinguishing allergy symptoms from colds
Children with allergies often have a combination of runny nose, itchy eyes, throat clearing, sneezing, and cough. Allergies can also cause or contribute to eczema, infant colic, and recurrent ear infections. Allergies are caused by a combination of genetic factors as well as exposure. If one parent has allergies, his or her child has a 25 percent chance of developing allergies; if both parents have allergies, the risk increases to 50 percent.
The common cold, or viral rhinosinusitis, is an infection of the nasal passages, sinuses, and throat caused by any of a number of viruses. While a cold may slow your child down for the first few days, she should bounce back quickly even before the coughing and sneezing completely resolve. The symptoms of sneezing, cough, fever, and nasal congestion usually last seven to 10 days. Most children get six colds per winter, and if they live with a smoker, the number increases to nine per winter. This averages out to at least 60 days of goopy noses and sniffles every winter.
If you suspect your child might have allergies, discuss your concerns with your pediatrician or family physician and ask if allergy testing might be appropriate. And trust your instincts, because nobody knows your child better than you do.
One website where further information is available is the Quest Diagnostics Patient Health Library at www.questdiagnostics.com.
Dr. Scott Schroeder is associate professor of pediatrics, SUNY-Stony Brook College of Medicine, and chief of the division of pulmonary medicine, Winthrop-University Hospital Department of Pediatrics.
