🤧How Do You Know If You Have a Cold or Allergies?🌿

Megumi Uppena
Aug 7, 2025
4 min read

Thursday, August 7th, 2025

Think you've caught another cold? It might actually be allergies. Learn how to tell the difference and discover the deeper root causes--through the lens of NAET.

How Do You Know If You Have a Cold or Allergies?

Sneezing. Runny nose. Brain fog. Congestion. These are all common symptoms, but are they caused by a cold… or are they signs of allergies? 🤔

The truth is, it’s not always easy to tell the difference. Both colds and allergies can show up with very similar symptoms. Both suddenly and over time. Let’s break it down in a simple, friendly way, so you can figure out what’s going on — and more importantly, how to start feeling better.

🤒 Cold vs. 🤧 Allergy: How Can You Tell?

Here are a few general clues:

If you have chills, high fever, body aches, or intense headaches, you're more likely dealing with a cold or another infection.
If your symptoms come on in specific environments or after eating something, allergies may be the culprit.

But it’s not always that simple, especially if symptoms come and go or last for weeks (or months!) at a time.

📆 The Long Game: What Do Chronic Allergies Look Like?

Allergies don’t always show up as dramatic sneezing fits (although they can!). They often cause low-grade but persistent symptoms that linger or cycle through:

Constant sneezing and runny nose
Itchy, watery eyes
Fatigue, brain fog, or “meh” energy
Headaches or joint pain
Hives, eczema, or random skin rashes
Bloating or abdominal discomfort
Dry or persistent cough

And here's something surprising: allergy symptoms don’t always show up immediately. They can show up 4–5 days after exposure, making it hard to connect the dots! 🧩

😷 Can Chronic Infections Make Allergies Worse?

Absolutely. If you’re constantly dealing with colds, sinus congestion, digestive issues, fatigue, or brain fog, you may actually have a chronic infection that’s fueling your allergies. Your immune system is on overload, and reacting to more things than it should. 😵‍💫

A lot of people say they have seasonal allergies, but when we dig deeper… their symptoms are actually happening year-round. Sound familiar?

That’s when we know there’s a deeper immune imbalance happening. 🤯

⏳ When Is It Time to Take Your Symptoms More Seriously?

According to the CDC, a chronic condition lasts more than a year. But in my opinion, if you've had a runny nose, headache, eczema, or fatigue for more than 3 months, your body is waving a flag that it needs help. 🚩

🧪 What Can You Do About It? Start Here. It’s Free!

You don’t need to jump into expensive treatments or complicated regimens. Here’s a free, gentle place to start:

🥦 Try a 1-Week Elimination Experiment

Yup, just one week. Remove one thing you consume every day, especially something you think you can’t live without. That could be:

Refined sugar
Coffee, tea, soda, chocolate or caffeine
Cheese, milk, cream, yogurt
Gluten or wheat (bread, pasta, crackers)
Alcohol (wine, beer, liquor)
Tobacco, vape, chewing gum or recreational drugs
Even “healthy” items like oat milk, almond milk
Rice and other grains if you are already gluten-free

If you feel like, “But I NEED that! I can’t live without it!”, it might be the exact thing that’s causing your symptoms. 😬

🌟 If your symptoms improve: awesome! Keep going. You're doing great.

😵 If you feel worse: that may be withdrawal. Your body is dependent on it (and maybe a little addicted). But don’t panic. This is still a clue toward healing!

😮 What If Nothing Seems to Work?

Sometimes, even after trying to eliminate common triggers, symptoms persist. That’s when we start looking at sensitivities to basic nutrients! Yes, even good-for-you foods like:

Vegetables
Fruits
Whole grains
Water (yes, even that!)
Salt, sugar, fats
Vitamins & minerals like calcium, iron, or B vitamins

You might be wondering: “Wait… can I really be sensitive to nutrients my body needs?”

Yes, and I see it all the time.

🌈 That’s Where NAET Comes In

NAET (Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique) is a gentle, drug-free, non-invasive method that helps your body stop overreacting to basic substances, and start healing from the inside out. 🌀

When you desensitize your body to things like nutrients, pollens, or food triggers, you give your immune system the calm space it needs to…

Detoxify properly
Absorb nutrients better
Reduce inflammation
Feel more like yourself again

Even if you’re “pretty healthy,” NAET can help you absorb nutrients more effectively and prevent future issues from showing up. Prevention is healing too! 🙌

💊 Need Relief Now? Try These Gentle Supplements

While we work on root causes, here are a few natural supports that may help:

For runny nose & congestion:
- Andrographis Complex — 2 pills twice daily on an empty stomach for 2 weeks
For sneezing fits, itchy eyes, fatigue:
- Antronex — 3 pills, 3–4 times a day (natural antihistamine)
- AllergCo — a vegan-friendly option
- Andrographis Complex — works well with both of the above
For withdrawal headaches or symptoms from quitting coffee, alcohol, or sugar:
- Antronex — 1 pill every 1–2 hours until symptoms subside

⚠️ Keep in mind: Not all supplements are a perfect match for everyone. Some people are sensitive to herbs too! If you're not sure what’s right for you, I’d love to help with a personalized nutritional consultation 💬

💡 Final Thoughts

So… do you have a cold or allergies? Maybe both. Maybe neither. Sometimes the better question is: What’s causing your immune system to act out? 🤷‍♀️

Here’s what I suggest:

Eliminate one thing you’re exposed to every day, and see how you feel.
If you feel better: amazing! You’ve started your healing journey.
If you feel worse: it could be a hidden addiction or withdrawal. Still helpful information!
If nothing changes: you may need deeper support, and NAET might be the missing piece.

💬 Want Help?

🎥Watch this short video to learn more about how NAET works

📞 Book a free discovery call here to see if it’s right for you. You deserve to feel clear, calm, and vibrant, not stuck in a cycle of tissues and guesswork. Let’s get to the root together 🌱💖

In health,

Megumi