Allergies or COVID-19: Know the symptoms
Fall is allergy season, so I’m getting you prepared!
TOLEDO, Ohio — Stuffy nose, post nasal drip, sneezing and wheezing: all symptoms of fall allergies, which can easily be misidentified as COVID-19. So what’s the difference? Well, one expert has a few words of advice.
“Things that I think make a difference and help you decide, is it allergies or is it COVID? With COVID, we don’t have as much sneezing and as much itching. So, if you’ve noticed every single year that you’ve gotten the same sorts of symptoms during the fall time, it probably is more allergy-related,” says Dr. Sandra Hong of the Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Hong says fever and loss of taste and smell are possible with severe allergies, but more common with COVID-19.
Fatigue is also a COVID-related symptom, but allergy sufferers can feel fatigued too. However, when fatigue is allergy-related it can sometimes be due to allergy medications causing drowsiness. If that’s the case, Dr. Hong said simply stopping or changing to a non-sedating medication can help.
Additionally, a stuffy nose from allergies may make it hard to breathe at night and disrupt sleep patterns, making it hard to focus during the day.
If you’re concerned about the symptoms you may be experiencing, call your healthcare provider to help determine what you’re dealing with. And if you’re having difficulty breathing, it’s best to seek emergency care.
