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Pollen Season: Treatment Options and Advice

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Connecticut’s wet winter will unleash a flood of pollen this spring season. Sniffles, sneezes and sore throats may be triggered by allergies, but how can you tell if it’s a cold, sinus infection or the flu instead? Physicians at American Family Care (AFC), expect to see scores of suffering patients seeking relief from sinus symptoms.

— an announcement from American Family Care (illustrations added by Darienite.com)
“Nasal allergy symptoms and common cold symptoms are essentially identical,” explains Dr. Ifthikar Ali, medical director for several AFC Connecticut locations.  “Variables we examine are exposure to an allergen, like pollen or a pet, the duration of symptoms — months versus 1 to 2 weeks, and if there is improvement while taking allergy medications.”
Spring allergies will cause itchy water eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat, wheezing, coughing and even hives. The symptoms of a cold are often characterized by runny nose, sore throat and cough. A distinguishing factor might be that in some upper respiratory infections commonly known as colds, the patient will also have a fever, malaise (feel bad) and muscle aches. Acute sinusitis is characterized by a stuffy or runny nose accompanied by pain in the forehead and/or over the cheeks.