Dr. Bryan Betty: Hay fever vs the Common Cold

Often people experience sneezing and congestion and are unclear of the difference between a cold and hay fever - very common in spring. 

What is the difference? 

• This time of the year can be confusing especially with a late carry over of winter illnesses.
• Basically, hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen, dust or pets.
• The common cold is an infection caused by a virus most often: rhinovirus.
• Hay-fever comes on suddenly, lasts for days to weeks, often frequent sneezing, and red itchy watery eyes, itchy throat, nose. No temperature.
• Common Cold: Comes on gradually over days, last 5 to 10 days, thick yellow nose discharge, mild eye irritation, less sneezing, often temperature and muscle ache.  

How should you tell the difference? 

• If itch eyes and nose think hay fever.
• If you feel achy and unwell more likely a cold.
• Hay fever does tend to occur at certain times of the year – especially spring, or lawn mowing.
• With a cold often have ben in contact with someone who is sick 

  

How do you treat them? 

Hay fever : 

• It is important to try and avoid irritants : keep windows closed especially on windy days, shower after being outside. 
• We use anti-histamines (stops itch, sneezing), often eye drops(stops watery eyes) and nasal spray(stops nasal congestion). 

Common Cold: 

• Antibiotics do not help – it’s a virus.
• Stay at home - don’t spread.
• Paracetamol or ibuprofen for aches and temperature.
• Nasal spray decongestants for nose
• Throat lozenges for sore throat.
• Usually, will improve over a week. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame podcast
from News Talks at be.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
It is that time of year where many of us
are feeling a little bit a too e. We're experiencing sneezing, congestion,
all sorts, and sometimes it can be a little bit
unclear as to whether or not you've got a cold,
or whether or not you've got hay fever. So we
thought we would catch up with our resident doctor, Brian Betty,
who's here with the details this morning.

Speaker 3 (00:32):
Killder Brian, Oh, cure Jack.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
So what's the difference? I know that seems potentially obvious,
but sometimes when you're experiencing these things, it actually isn't.
What's the difference between a common cold?

Speaker 3 (00:43):
It can be very difficult to tell sometimes, and especially
this time of the year when we've had actually a
late viral season with colds and flues that's run right
into spring, and also that time when we start to
get the pollens in the year that causes the hay fever.
So yeah, it can be different, different, difficult to work out.
So basically the difference is hay fever is an allergic reaction,
and so the allergy to pollen or dust in the

(01:05):
air or pet so when it gets windy and the
flowers are out pollinating, we tend to get it. The
common colds and infection, and it's caused by a virus,
and the virus is off rhinovirus, So it's very very
different in terms of what it does. Now, the key
difference is hay fever tends to come on suddenly, so
it can last for a day, for days or weeks,
and it's often accompanied with frequent sneezing, red itchy, watery eyes,

(01:30):
and itchy throat and nose. But there's no temperature. Now,
the common cold comes on gradually over a few days,
usually last for five to ten days, thick yellow nasal discharge,
mild eyed irritation, and less sneezing. And often you do
have a mild temperature and it gets muscle aches. So
there are some very very distinct differences between the two.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
And should how should you tell the difference?

Speaker 3 (01:55):
Yeah, Look, I think there's three critical things that the
time it takes to come on, when it comes on,
and it now, Look, if you have itchy eyes and nose,
think hay fever is the classic classic symptom. Now, if
you feel slightly achy and unwell. Think common cold. Now,
hay fever does tend to occur more during spring, not

(02:16):
all the time, but during spring and certain times of
the year, especially spring, so it tends to be windy,
we've got the pollen in the air, and you know,
people out like mooweing lawns and they notice they get
all these symptoms coming on. Often with the common cold. Again,
you've been in contact with someone who's had a cold,
you suddenly start to get the symptoms. So again there's
another difference where the cold is spread from person to

(02:37):
person that doesn't happen with hay fever. So again there's
some very very distinct differences that start to occur.

Speaker 2 (02:43):
And how do you treat them.

Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah, very very differently, So it is important to know
the difference. So for hay fever, it's important to try
and avoid the irritance. So again, if it's a windy
day and you know that pollen's going to trigger the symptoms,
keep your windows shut indoors on those windy days to
try and keep the pollen out of the house. And
if you've been outside maewing the lawns, come inside and
just change your clothes and shower and get rid of
all that that pollen stuff that maybe on you causing

(03:08):
the problems. We use something called antihistamines, which are a
tablet to stop the itch and sneezing, often some eye
drops and off some nasal drops just to stop the
nasal congestion. Now, with the common cold, antibiotics do not help,
and this is really really important. It's a virus, so
there's no benefit to antibiotics. Stay at home because you

(03:29):
don't want to spread it, because that's what you do
with colds. Yeah, you know, your paraceminol, your broof and
to keep your temperature down and get rid of those
muscle achs. Often a bit of a nasal spray for
decongest throat lozenges and stay well hydrated really really important
and usually improves over a week. It gets better by itself.
So but staying at home is really quite important in

(03:50):
that situation.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
Of course, pseudo ephodrine is now available in pharmacies. I
have had it, and look, I know that there's a
bit of controversy with it. It My experience with it
was that it worked and that it gave me a
short term relief, like quite big time, to be honest,
like it was like, I was like, wow, this is
actually this is doing it and it may be a
little bit jittery, like I could see how they make

(04:12):
me find venomene out of it, you know. I was like, oh,
I can see. It's like not the craziest link between
these two things. So yeah, but for a cold it did,
Like my experience was that it did actually help, although
you've obviously got to be really careful and you know,
following the instructions of the chemists and that kind of thing.

Speaker 3 (04:27):
And yeah, look that's really important, seriesting. Yeah, this city
Everyson's got two sides to it. Yes, it works. It
is actually really effective for decongestions and making you feel better,
but there's this other side to it where you can
feel yeah, quite energized and a whole lot of things.
So yeah, you need to talk to your fancist about
then and how you use it. And yeah, so it
is good to use, but you've got to use it

(04:48):
very carefully.

Speaker 1 (04:48):
I suppose, yes, exactly.

Speaker 2 (04:50):
Hey, thank you so much, really appreciate it. Doctor Ryan
Vidie with us this morning for

Speaker 1 (04:54):
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