The curse of the summer cold

Skies are blue, the creeks are flowing, the park is waiting for you to hit the trail, and then you wake up with the chills and a stuffy nose. Is it allergies or the dreaded summer cold? Though colds and allergies share the traits of sneezing, runny nose, congestion and an itchy or sore throat, a cold will include symptoms like coughing, sweating and fever. Allergies also last longer and the symptoms remain fairly consistent while a true cold will hit you with a rotating onslaught of misery as days progress. Colds are caused by some 200 viruses—those called enteroviruses are more likely to infect during warmer months. But summer colds aren’t actually more severe; they just seem so, most likely because you feel like the only one who is suffering. As with all colds, the best treatment is prevention, so use hand sanitizer, sleep well, minimize stress and exercise regularly to stay healthy.