Allergist shares difference between cold, allergies

Allergy season expected to reach its peak in next few weeks

DALEVILLE, Va. – It’s roughly a month into spring, and allergy specialists are already seeing an increase in the number of patients with symptoms from pollen season.

“It gets extremely bad for me. I have asthma as well so when allergies hit I usually can't breathe, which makes it a lot more difficult,” said Cory Nunez, of Roanoke, who suffers from allergies.

As allergy season is about to reach its peak, more patients are turning to Dr. Aneysa Sane, of Carilion Clinic, who specializes in treating allergies.

Sane explained how you can tell if you are catching a cold or if your allergies are kicking in.

“Both of these conditions can make you feel congested in your nose and have a lot of drainage down your throat. But with allergy, you're going to see more itching,” Sane said.

Sane said sometimes people will get a fever if there's a virus.

“That typically does not happen with an allergy,” Sane said.

If you're struggling with allergies, Sane said many medications that used to be available by prescription only are now available over the counter.

“Some of the nose sprays are extremely effective at getting all the symptoms of allergies, like congestion, running, itching and draining,” Sane said.

For more information on dealing with spring allergies, contact your family doctor or allergist.