People with year-round allergies
may confuse their symptoms with frequent colds.
Colds are the result of a viral
infection. Perennial allergies -- often caused by indoor triggers such as dust
mites, furry pets, cockroaches, mold and fungi -- are the body's physical
reactions to inhaled airborne particles called "allergens."
Some symptoms of both are
similar: sneezing and a stuffy or runny nose. But if symptoms are also
accompanied by a fever, colored nasal discharge and aches, you probably have a
cold.
Allergies don't cause fever, and
unless there's a sinus infection involved, the nasal discharge is clear. Also, a
cold lasts about a week, while symptoms of allergy can go on indefinitely
