Taking a closer look at these and other symptoms can help you determine whether you’re dealing with a cold or allergies that may affect you seasonally or occasionally.

Allergies occur all year round

If you are allergic to pollen, you may experience an improvement in your symptoms during the colder winter months. However, if you are sensitive to indoor allergens such as mold, pet dander or dust mites, your symptoms may be more severe in the winter when you spend more time indoors, as heating the home dries out the air and favors the circulation of allergenic particles in all rooms.

Allergy and common cold: Differences

Colds are caused by contagious viruses, which are spread by sneezing, coughing, shaking hands or touching infected surfaces. Your immune system fights the infection and your symptoms usually go away after a few days.

Allergies are caused by an immune reaction to something in the environment, such as dust and pollen. Both colds and allergies can cause nasal congestion, sneezing, and coughing, but allergies are not contagious and don’t usually go away even after a few weeks.

Keep in mind the following differences between a cold and allergies:

• A runny or stuffy nose is a common symptom of both a cold and an allergy
• Body aches are more likely to be a cold than an allergy
• Colds occur more often during the winter months. Allergies appear at any time of the year
• Cold symptoms take a few days to appear after an infection. Allergy symptoms can begin immediately after contact with any irritant/allergen
• Colds tend to last from 3 to 14 days. Allergies can last from a few days to months
• Cough usually only accompanies a cold, although sometimes it is also due to an allergy
• Fatigue happens with both colds and allergies
• Fever is rare with a cold and is never due to allergies
• Itchy and wet eyes are rare cold symptoms, but very common allergy symptoms
• A sore throat is more likely with a cold than with allergies
• The most critical difference is that colds usually don’t last longer than two weeks

Even the cleanest homes can become hotbeds for indoor allergens. Some of the main “culprits” are:

• Animal dander : Despite what you may hear, dog or cat breeds advertised as hypoallergenic still cause allergies regardless of whether they shed hair or not. People are not allergic to animal hair itself, but to an allergen found in the saliva, hair or dead skin flakes and urine of any mammal.
• Cockroach droppings : Cockroaches are common pests whose droppings can become environmental irritants.
• Dust mites : These tiny pests thrive in warm, moist environments where skin flakes collect, such as bedding, upholstered (fabric) furniture and carpets.
• Indoor dust and mold : Mold can grow inside a poorly maintained humidifier, causing more harm than good.

Tips to reduce allergens in your home

• Close any openings, wall cracks and windows where cockroaches can enter. Store food in lidded containers, use lidded garbage cans and wash dishes immediately after use. Clean well under stoves, refrigerators and toasters where crumbs can accumulate.
• If you have pets indoors, keep them away from bedrooms and other rooms where you spend most of your time. Try to minimize direct contact and wash your hands after touching them.
• Wash your clothes regularly, especially when you are around pets or other known allergens (eg pollen).
• Place zippered protectors on pillows and mattresses, which are changed and washed frequently, to avoid dust mites.
• Remove any mold from hard surfaces in the home, such as bathrooms and kitchens. Use water with detergent and, if necessary, a 5% bleach solution.
• Repair and seal leaking roofs or pipes. Use dehumidifiers in wet basements, making sure to empty and clean the unit regularly.
• Try to keep humidity levels low (40-50%) in your home.
• Use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. These filters are 99.97% effective at trapping particles as small as 0.3 microns.
• Vacuum the carpets often.
• Wash all bedding weekly in hot water (approx. 55°C).