Cold Or Allergy?

Is that a cold your coming down with or could you be allergic to something in your house?

Right now, if you get a runny nose, itchy eyes and cough you'll probably chalk it up to the cold. After all, it's that time of year. But it's also the time of year we pull out dusty decorations or place out decorative scented candles to make our houses more festive. Those could be causing allergies, something we don't think too much about this time of the year.

Although it's sometimes tough to figure out if it's a cold or allergies there are a few things to look for. If you have a low-grade fever and body aches, it's probably a cold. If, on the other hand, you have a runny nose, sneezing and mild cough, you are probably dealing with allergies, especially if the nose is running clear. And since the dust from stored away displays can trigger allergies, dusting them off outside or washing the ones you can will help. If you're sensitive to smells, having scented decorations can also trigger allergy symptoms, so switching to non-scented displays might be what's needed.

The key is to still have a festive and merry house, just one that won't have you sniffling and sneezing the whole holiday season.