TUESDAY, May 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- It can be difficult for parents to tell whether their child has a cold or hay fever, but there are ways to distinguish between the two, experts say.
"Runny, stuffy or itchy noses, sneezing, coughing, fatigue, and headaches can all be symptoms of both allergies and colds, but when parents pay close attention to minor details they will be able to tell the difference," Dr. Michelle Lierl, a pediatric allergist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said in a hospital news release.
"Children who have springtime or fall allergies have much more itching of their noses; they often have fits of sneezing and usually rub their noses in an upward motion," Lierl explained. "They also complain about an itchy, scratchy throat or itchy eyes, whereas with a cold, they don't."
Nasal discharge is usually clear if someone has allergies and yellowish if someone has a cold, she added.
If children have seasonal allergies, Lierl offers the following tips to help ease symptoms:
More information
The American Academy of Pediatrics has more about seasonal allergies in children.