Summertime sneezes: cold or allergy?

Patricia Carroll, RN,BC, CEN, RRT, MS

Summertime....as the song goes....and the livin' is.....sneezy? If that's the case for you, you're not alone.  In most of the United States, grass, weed and ragweed pollen seasons overlap in the summertime. For more information, visit our friends at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. If you're allergic, sneezes; itchy, watery eyes; and sinus pain may be your summertime companions. 

Let's see what you know about Summer Sneezes.

How can you tell a summer cold from an allergy?

A. Allergies cause itching of the eyes or nose

B. Colds usually happen to only one family member

C. Only colds cause nasal congestion

Correct Answer: A

A key aspect of allergies is itching -- of your nose, eyes, face, your throat and even the roof of your mouth! Some people may have only eye symptoms, while others may have greater problems with their breathing passages.

Colds typically spread easily among family members, children in daycare, and people who work together. If you're the only one you know with symptoms, start thinking more about allergies and less about colds. 

Both colds and allergies cause nasal congestion -- that's what can make them difficult to tell apart. 

Where are you most likely to get relief from pollen allergy symptoms?

A. In the heart of a big city

B. In the suburbs

C. At the beach

Correct Answer: C

Many people think that cities are essentially pollen-free. However, a report in the Earth Island Journal  points out that there are actually "male" and "female" trees.  Unlike "female" trees, male trees do not produce seeds, flowers or fruit that would need to be cleaned up from city streets or plazas. Therefore, "male" trees are far more popular with landscapers. However, these trees are pollen machines, and produce far more pollen than "female" trees that catch pollen from the air and turn it into seed.  Even though there are fewer trees in the heart of a big city, those that are present are much likely to be powerful pollen producers. 

Some cities in the southwestern US have passed ordinances to stop selective planting of these trees to reduce the pollen load in the air.

The beach is the best place to spend time if your allergies are bothering you.  The breeze is usually off the water, and there's no pollen out there. In fact, sailors with pollen allergies notice their symptoms go away when they are out at sea.

What's the best treatment for a summertime cold or allergy?

A. Take a multisymptom reliever for a cold

B. Avoid pollen if you're allergic

C. Take antibiotics for a cold

Correct Answer: B

Be careful about multisymptom combination drugs. You should always check with a pharmacist before you buy one of these preparations. Explain your symptoms, and get the pharmacist's advice about what you should take. 

A recent report in the American Journal of Nursing described a college student who had a terrible cold. She took different medicines over a few days to treat her different symptoms. She took:

• Tylenol (acetaminophen) for a low fever

• Cold & Flu tablets for her "cold"

• Severe Allergy Tablets for her nasal congestion

• Sinus Pain Formula for her facial sinus pressure

• Nighttime Liquid Medicine to help her sleep

What she didn't realize what that every single medicine she took had acetaminophen in it, and 4 of the 5 medicines she took had an antihistamine. She ended up at the student health center drowsy and confused from too much antihistamine, and with early signs of liver toxicity from an accidental overdose of acetaminophen! 

Talk with your pharmacist about single ingredient medicines that will target your symptoms precisely. For example, if you just have itchy, watery eyes, you can use eye drops. Why take a combination medicine that may have something in it that you don't need? 

Avoiding Allergens

If you're allergic, one of the best strategies is to avoid pollen whenever you can:

• Stay indoors when the pollen count is high, with the windows closed and the air conditioner on.

• Pollen counts are particularly high early in the morning on sunny, dry, windy days.

• Ask a non-allergic person to regularly clean your air conditioner's filter.

• Wash your hair at night. Yes, at night. Pollen will cling to your hair during the day. If you don't wash your hair before you go to bed, the pollen will be transferred from your hair to your pillow, where you are likely to breathe it in as you sleep. Washing your hair at night will keep your bed pollen-free and reduce your symptoms.

Antibiotics a No-No

Allergies are not infections, and colds are caused by viruses. Antibiotics are only appropriate to treat infections caused by bacteria.  Of course, summertime colds and allergies can occur at the same time as a strep throat, for which antibiotics are appropriate. But, don't demand antibiotics from your healthcare provider to treat your nasal congestion and sinus headache. 

The best way to keep a cold at bay? Wash your hands regularly. Research shows that colds are more commonly spread by hand-to-hand contact after the person with the cold covered his or her face during a cough or sneeze. The person with the cold then touches your hand directly or touches something that you then touch. The circle is completed when you finally touch your eyes, nose, or mouth where the virus can take hold. Washing your hands frequently is the best way to interrupt the transmission of the cold virus.

And, for your allergies? Keep your hopes up for an early frost. 

Written: August 2001

Reviewed: May 2003, May 2004