Spring is a beautiful time of year, but with the warmth, growing flowers, and rainfall come allergy issues and springtime colds. If you\’ve found yourself suffering through the spring and you don\’t know the cause of your misery, consider the points below to determine when to seek medical care. In this article, you will learn:
- Common allergy symptoms and cold symptoms
- When you should seek medical treatment for spring illnesses
- More about Middle Park Health in the Mountains of Colorado and how to schedule an appointment
Do I have a Cold or Allergies?
Do you have a case of the sniffles, or have your eyes been red and watery since early April? Sometimes it’s difficult to tell the difference between allergies and a cold — especially in the springtime! If you’re not sure what’s wrong or don’t know what to take to help yourself feel better, give us a call. We can help you determine whether you are sick with a viral or bacterial illness or dealing with a more long-term ailment like seasonal allergies. At times the symptoms seem similar, but more often than not, there are a few quick and easy ways for a medical provider to tell the differences between the two.
Middle Park Health has its roots in hospital care that dates back to 1933. We’ve been serving Grand County for almost a century, and we pride ourselves on providing high-quality local medical care. We’d love to meet you and care for your family’s medical needs. Read through the following tips to better determine which ailment you’re dealing with, steps you can take to prevent allergy flare-ups and colds, and learn how to schedule a checkup with us.
Spring Is Here, As Are Allergies: Stop In for a Checkup!
Seasonal allergies are expected during the spring and fall, but perennial allergies can occur year-round for many unlucky allergy sufferers. Allergies, unlike colds, tend to creep up during the spring allergy season and cause low-grade chronic symptoms. This means that you could suffer from the same allergy symptoms throughout the spring! If you’ve noticed the following symptoms that have lasted for more than two weeks, you may be suffering from spring allergies:
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Nasal congestion and itching
- Itchy, watery eyes
- Itchy or sore throat
If you’ve never had allergies before this year, it’s worth checking in with your medical provider to determine whether your symptoms are allergies caused by pollen, mold, animal dander, or something else like a new food you’ve been eating. If your symptoms tend to appear every spring in the greater Denver, CO area, it’s probably safe to say that you are reacting to seasonal pollen or mold that floats through the air and irritates your nose, eyes, and even throat.
Many allergy treatments are available for adults and children. Those with mild symptoms may be able to take a once-daily medication during the spring allergy season, and depending on what they are allergic to, they may need to learn how to avoid their triggers. Patients with more severe symptoms may be referred to an allergist, who can perform tests to determine the cause of the patient’s suffering.
Common Symptoms of Illnesses For This Time of Year in Colorado
What’s going around this time of year? Viruses like influenza and the common cold are expected at times when the weather changes from cold to warm. Because we have a longer winter season in Colorado than in many places in the United States, it’s common for people to spend more time indoors, where they can spread illness faster. If you’re concerned that your sniffles and sneezes may be due to a respiratory illness rather than allergies, you can look for the following symptoms:
- Upper respiratory symptoms like sneezing and coughing
- A runny nose or congestion that’s yellow, green, or white
- Sudden onset of “illness” symptoms as well as a general feeling of fatigue
- Fever
- Body aches
- Chills
- Sore throat
Common sicknesses that you or your child may experience during this time of year are, bronchiolitis caused by a respiratory syncytial virus, strep throat, enterovirus (the “stomach flu”), the flu, the common cold, and of course, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Hand-foot-mouth disease, chickenpox, and croup are common in young children. Discriminating between these many viruses and bacterial illnesses can be difficult, so it’s best to get a diagnosis from your medical provider before attempting to treat with over-the-counter medications.
If you or your child experiences more severe symptoms like a fever that won’t go away, a sudden escalation of symptoms, or extreme coughing or trouble breathing, it’s best to seek medical care immediately. Similarly, if your cold improved and then suddenly became worse, get the opinion of a medical provider before continuing to treat it on your own.
Choose Middle Park Health for High-Quality Child and Adult Care
We offer compassionate medical care for patients at our four convenient locations, and we additionally provide a walk-in clinic for those who need treatment quickly. If you’re suffering from respiratory symptoms similar to those described above, don’t wait to seek treatment! You have many options for feeling better quickly. Contact us to discuss your symptoms and make an appointment with one of our experienced providers today.
