Dr. Troy Baker is a board-certified allergist with the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group. He sees patients at the Kaiser Permanente Caton Hill Medical Center.
Your coworker is sneezing. Your child is coughing. And your own eyes are watery.
Is everyone sick? Or is it a seasonal allergy?
We are in the peak of spring allergy season. Tree pollen is high and people with seasonal allergies are grappling with their symptoms. At the same time, people are dealing with colds and viruses, including COVID-19, the flu, strep, and respiratory syncytial virus.
How do you know what’s going on?
While viruses and allergies share some of the same symptoms, they also have distinct differences.
Symptoms in common may include the following:
- Cough
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Sneezing
- Sore throat
- Fatigue
If you have any of these, you should take appropriate measures to recover and prevent spreading infections to others.
There are also some key differences between cold and allergy symptoms:
- People with allergies are often very itchy – they may have an itchy nose, an itchy throat, itchy eyes, and even itchy ears. People who are sick usually aren’t itchy.
- People with allergies have clear mucus. People who are sick tend to have yellow or green mucus.
- People who are sick may have a fever, muscle cramps, body aches, nausea, and loss of taste or smell. They may vomit or have diarrhea. These symptoms usually are not associated with seasonal allergies.
Another key point: Illnesses tend to come on slowly. On day 1, you may feel off, as if something is coming on. A day or two later, you may feel increasingly cruddy. And then you’ll start to slowly feel better. Colds usually last a week or two.
In contrast, people with allergies tend to have consistent symptoms for the duration of their exposure to the allergen. And those with allergies tend to have the same symptoms develop year after year. So, if you usually don’t have a runny nose in April and this year you do, that may be a sign that you are sick. If you have a runny nose every year as soon as the grass pollen counts rise, that likely means you have seasonal allergies.
If you are unsure whether you are dealing with allergies or an illness, reach out to your doctor, who usually will be able to make a diagnosis based on your symptoms. Your doctor also can tell you whether you should be tested for COVID-19, the flu, strep throat, or allergies. Allergy testing can be easily done with a skin prick test or a blood test.
Different Treatments for Different Conditions
Why does it matter whether your symptoms are caused by seasonal allergies or by an illness?
People who are sick should stay home from work or school and postpone social activities. Those who are sick are contagious and should stay away from babies, immunocompromised individuals, and the elderly. Sick folks should get the proper treatment, which may include Paxlovid for COVID-19 or Tamiflu to ease flu symptoms if the doctor believes it is appropriate.
People with allergies can continue with their regular activities as long as they feel up to them. Allergy treatments include 24-hour oral antihistamines, antihistamine nasal sprays, steroid nasal sprays, and decongestants. If over-the-counter treatments don’t help, reach out to your primary care physician or allergist to discuss prescription medication options and whether you would be a good candidate for allergy shots.
There are some home remedies that can help people who are sick as well as those who are suffering from allergies, such as medications that decrease mucus (intranasal steroids and antihistamines). A saline nasal wash can clear both allergens and viral particles from the nose.
Coping with Seasonal Allergies
As a board-certified allergist, patients often ask for tips to cope with seasonal allergies. Here is some advice:
- Change your clothes when coming in from outside.
- Shower before going to bed rather so you don’t bring pollen to your sheets.
- Remember that pets that spend time outdoors can bring pollen indoors, so wash your pets.
- Wear sunglasses to keep pollen out of your eyes.
- Use artificial tears to wash pollen from your eyes.
- Monitor pollen levels using websites that offer pollen forecasts. This will help you decide when it’s best to stay indoors.
- Keep windows and doors closed to prevent pollen from entering your home and car; use air conditioning or fans instead.
- Be mindful of the rain. A light rain pushes pollen out of the air and can ease allergy symptoms. But heavy rain breaks up pollen on the ground, resulting in pollen surges in the air. Rain also brings along mold spores. All of this can worsen allergy symptoms.
Consult an allergist if you continue to suffer despite medication and lifestyle changes; allergy shots may be recommended for long-term relief.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
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