When to Get Allergy Testing

Just because spring and pollen are no longer issues, there are still some allergies that can affect you in the winter months. Especially if they have never had issues with allergies before, many people assume that their sniffling and coughing is due to a winter cold, but it may be an immune system response to indoor allergens such as dust mites, molds, or pet dander. Here’s what you need to know about when to get allergy testing.

Allergic Symptoms

There is some overlap in symptoms between a winter cold vs. indoor allergies. With both conditions you will have a runny nose, sore throat, and a persistent cough. However, allergy symptoms will also include itchy or watery eyes, itchiness in the back of the throat, or itchiness of the ears. Alternatively, if it is a winter cold you may have fever and aches. If you have the allergy prone symptoms, you should get tested.

Duration of Symptoms

The duration of your symptoms will also help you determine if you have allergies or a winter cold. A cold usually starts out with a general feeling of illness coming on and progresses into a full blown cold, after which symptoms soon begin to go away. The entire process usually only takes about a week to 10 days. On the other hand, allergy symptoms will not go away unless you limit your exposure to the allergens. Since you will be spending a lot of time indoors during the cooler months, this means that your symptoms are likely to last the entire winter if undiagnosed and untreated.

If you believe that you may have indoor allergies, it is a good idea to get allergy testing from an allergist. Contact us today for more information or to schedule your appointment.