Runny noses – Virus or Allergies?

Determining the culprit that has your child’s nose working overtime isn’t always easy. In March when there is still snow on the ground, a runny nose has to be caused by a cold or flu virus, right? It would make sense, except that some notorious irritants like maple trees are budding out and blooming that early—releasing the pollen that for many causes allergic reactions. To complicate things further, allergies produce conditions in the human respiratory tract that are inviting to viruses and bacteria. What starts out as an allergic response can end up as an earache, cold or sinus infection.

Sometimes it’s easy to know the cause. For example when the entire family is sick at the same time; you can assume that ‘the crud’ is to blame. But other times it’s less obvious. Look at the chart below and see how colds and allergies can affect us differently.

Characteristic	Cold	Allergy
Duration	Three—14 days	Days to months—as long as you are exposed to the allergen
Time of year	Most often in winter but always possible	Any time of the year but can also be seasonal
Onset of Symptoms	Symptoms appear in a few days after infection with the virus	Symptoms can begin instantly with exposure to the allergen
Symptom	Cold	Allergy
Cough	Often	Sometimes
Aches	Sometimes	Never
Fatigue	Sometimes	Sometimes
Fever	Rarely	Never
Itchy, watery eyes	Rarely	Often
Sore throat	Often	Sometimes
Runny or stuffy nose	Often; usually yellow mucous	Often; usually clear mucous

(Chart adapted from WebMD)

What are environmental allergens? They are substances that occur indoors— like mold and mildew spores, dust mites and pet dander; or outdoors—like tree and plant pollens—that trigger allergic responses.

It is important to find out if your child is suffering from allergies for several reasons. When exposed to an allergen our body tries to get rid of the substance by sneezing and creating mucous. As mentioned above, this sets the stage for bacterial and viral infections. Kids with allergies can go from one infection to another. In addition, children with allergies can struggle with inadequate and poor quality sleep. And lastly, there is a connection between allergies and asthma. Not all children who have environmental allergies develop asthma, but some do. There is a trio of interconnected conditions at work here: eczema, allergies, asthma. The connection is real but not yet fully understood.

Many outdoor allergens are seasonal and affect people in the spring or fall. Indoor irritants can affect people continuously. Keeping track of the time and circumstances that your child has the most trouble can yield an important clue. Other things to look for are a perpetually runny nose, itchy, watery eyes, snoring and sleep issues.

If you suspect that there might be more behind your child’s runny nose than just another cold, discuss it with your pediatrician. There are simple tests that can determine whether or not your child has allergies. Most importantly, there are many ways to lessen your child’s physical symptoms to make her more comfortable and help prevent repeated infections.