Is It Allergies or COVID Symptoms?

Know When Those Sniffles Are Normal or Something More

It's that time of year again—pollen is in the air, and everyone seems to be sneezing. It can be hard to tell between allergies and COVID symptoms. Thankfully, the expert team at Antelope Valley Medical Center is here to help. This blog post will discuss the differences between the two and help you determine whether you need to seek medical attention.

Seasonal Allergies

If you regularly suffer from allergy symptoms, then you know that they can be miserable. However, one of the most significant differences between COVID-19 and seasonal allergies is the level of severity.

With allergies, the level of discomfort generally ranges from mild to moderate. You can also often find a reason for why you feel the way you do, such as spending an afternoon around your sister's cat or high pollen counts in the spring.

Some of the most common allergy symptoms include:

• Sneezing.
• Itchy or watery eyes.
• Tiredness or fatigue.
• Sinus pressure headache.
• Runny nose or nasal congestion.
• Post-nasal drip with or without a sore throat.

For some people, allergies also bring on skin rashes. This is especially common if you are sensitive to a particular type of food or your immune system reacts to new laundry soap, perfume, body wash, etc.

COVID-19 Symptoms

In contrast, COVID-19 symptoms are much more severe for most people. While mild cases might see an absence of a particular category of symptoms, the vast majority include:

• Runny or stuffy nose.
• Dry cough.
• Extreme fatigue and tiredness.
• Muscle aches.
• Sore throat.
• Fever above 100-degrees.
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

However, the biggest indicator of COVID-19 vs. allergies is the loss of taste or smell. This can be pretty shocking for many people and present far more dramatically than just losing these senses due to a runny nose.

What About the Flu?

In some cases, seasonal allergies and coronavirus symptoms mimic what it is like to have the flu. While both influenza and COVID-19 are viruses, they are quite different in how the body reacts. Please see this post from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for a breakdown of the two in greater detail.

What to Do If You Think You Have COVID-19

If you feel you have COVID-19 and not seasonal allergies, it is important to seek medical attention. Start by isolating yourself from others, wearing a mask to prevent viral spread, and calling your primary care physician.

They'll often request that you either get a COVID test at a local healthcare center or use an at-home version. If you get a negative result, you can assume it is either allergies and start treatment accordingly or see how you feel in a couple of days before retesting.

However, if you feel as though you do have COVID-19 and your symptoms worsen, it is crucial to contact Antelope Valley Medical Center immediately.

Top-Notch Healthcare in Lancaster, CA

Antelope Valley Medical Center is proud to offer exceptional healthcare to those in the Lancaster, California community. For more information on what we do and our commitment to care, please visit our website or call (661) 949-5000.