Runny nose or stuffy nose? Repeated sneezing or occasional sneezing? These types of similar symptoms make it difficult for parents to know whether their child has allergies or just a cold.
“A cardinal symptom of an allergy is nasal discharge that is thin and clear, rather than colored and more thick like colds,” said Dr. Mary Paul, pediatrician at Texas Children’s allergy and immunology center and assistant professor of pediatrics in allergy and immunology at Baylor College of Medicine.
Another factor to look at is whether a child has a fever, which is a symptom of colds, not allergies.
In addition, children with allergies have itchy watery eyes, repeated attacks of sneezing and itching of the nose, eyes or skin. Children with colds have occasional sneezing and no itching.
Parents who want to know if their child suffers from allergies should schedule an allergy test with their pediatrician.
