Traveling through airports we might come in contact with germs from many random places around the world.  On a cruise ship, that same closed environment that makes sailing a safe way to travel also has the ability to breed illness, in a number of ways.  But even riding a city bus, going to the grocery store or touching junk mail can bring the opportunity for illness; so staying home is not playing it safe either.  One thought that might help is to determine if those sniffles and sneezes are an unknown illness or simple allergies that can be easily controlled.

I was reminded of this travel health topic after coming back home from Europe recently,  with some great memories and the symptoms of a cold.  Prior to leaving, Lisa (who is always right about such matters) mentioned that I should probably take along some allergy medicine; just in case.  Actually, it’s more common than not for me to come back to Florida from an international trip with cold-like symptoms.  Adding my over the counter allergy medication prior to leaving would shoo those symptoms away.  I know that.  I just need to do it.

With summer in full swing and the warm weather is here to stay, there is no worse time to be bed ridden with a sore throat and the sniffles. But what’s really behind your symptoms: a summer cold or that pesky seasonal allergy?

The two dreaded ailments of summer unfortunately share similar symptoms, so before you go off blaming one or the other, get to know the difference between each symptom. With the below infographic from Cold-EEZE Cold Remedy, you can steer clear of an escalated illness and properly treat what’s causing discomfort.