Hay Fever Or A Summer Cold? How To Tell The Difference

A streaming nose, sneezing and coughing can ruin a perfect summer’s day out. You might wonder whether your sniffles are a cold virus you picked up, and if staying at home would have been a better idea. 

A common cold virus can attack at any time of the year, leaving you feeling tired and unwell. Handling it with rest, hydration, and over-the-counter painkillers will have you back to normal in no time. 

But summer is also a prime time for high pollen counts, and therefore, hayfever is rife, giving you similar symptoms to a light cold. Unlike a cold virus, medications for hay fever can prevent or lessen the majority of symptoms.

What are the common symptoms of hayfever?

Hay fever, caused by an allergy to pollen, has many similar symptoms to a cold.

These include:

• Sneezing
• Runny nose or blocked nose
• Itchy or sore throat
• Headaches
• Tiredness
• Loss of smell

An additional symptom, not shared by the common cold, is itchy and watery eyes.

What are the main differences between a cold and hayfever?

Hay fever is not contagious. Unlike a virus, which is passed from person to person, hay fever is a histamine reaction to an allergen, in this case, pollen. 

It also tends to be seasonal, rearing its head around March and subsiding around September in the UK. This is when pollen counts are particularly high, caused by flowering plants, trees and grasses. 

Another difference is the length of recovery time. Without treatment, hay fever can last for months, whereas most people fully recover from a cold within a few weeks. 

Symptoms that are not hayfever and are more likely to be cold virus symptoms include:

• Achy muscles 
• Fever or high temperature
• Issues with taste and smell
• Pressure in the face and ears

How do you prevent hay fever?

There is no cure for hay fever, but there are ways to lessen the pollen’s effects.

Preventative measures recommended by the NHS include:

• Closing windows and doors
• Regular vacuuming and dusting
• Pollen filters in cars
• Wearing sunglasses to stop pollen getting in your eyes
• Washing clothes and showering after being outside on high pollen count days
• Don’t dry clothing outside
• Avoid having plants and flowers in the home
• Avoid cutting the grass 
• Spend more time indoors

Of course, not all of these methods will be possible, and you may not want to spend the whole summer indoors. In these cases, treating the symptoms is the next best option.

How do you treat hay fever? 

The medications available are designed to reduce the body’s response to the allergen. Anti-histamines are the main form of treatment, either in tablet, drops, or nasal spray format.

They work by blocking histamine, a chemical that is produced when the body thinks it is being attacked. Although pollen is harmless to humans, in people who are allergic to it, their bodies react as if it were harmful. 

The histamine causes the body to react and produce the uncomfortable symptoms we call hay fever. 

Anti-histamines can be bought over-the-counter or on prescription, and are available in non-drowsy formulations. Common medications include chlorphenamine (Piriton), promethazine, cetirizine, loratadine and fexofenadine. 

Steroid-based nasal sprays can also help with physical symptoms of hay fever. 

Speak to your local St Albans pharmacy, Verulam, about the products available for treating hay fever, and they can advise you on the most effective options so you can enjoy your summer.