Cold or Allergy:
No Appointment Necessary

Aired on Lifetime Television
Sunday, January 13 and March 2, 2008
Show 502

You get the symptoms: sneezing, coughing, itching, your nose is running. Do you have a cold, or do you have an allergy?  Many of the symptoms are similar, which is why Walgreens Pharmacist Marcie Fox joins Dr. Lisa to sort out some of the differences.  Both colds and allergies might make you sneeze, give you headaches and make your nose stuffy or runny.  Here's one difference: if what runs out of your nose is clear, it's probably an allergy; if it's colored green or yellow, you probably have a cold. Coughing means a cold, while itchy, watery eyes usually mean you have an allergy. Time matters, too: since colds are usually gone in about two weeks, if symptoms persist longer, you probably have an allergy.  If you take or give someone medicine for these symptoms, remember that there are separate medicines for colds and allergies for a reason: know the difference and you'll be able to treat yourself or your loved ones better!