COVID vs. seasonal allergies: How to tell the difference

Spring is around the corner — and that means your seasonal allergies could start to bother you.

As plants release pollen into the air, many people are dreading the impending discomfort.

But with the coronavirus still spreading, what are some ways to tell whether your symptoms at this time of year are due to allergies? Here’s how health experts describe the difference between common allergy and COVID-19 symptoms.

What are some common symptoms?

There are some signs that are more common with COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted on Twitter in February. Those include:

• bodysuits

• Fever or chills

• Losing taste or smell

• shortness of breath

For allergies, more common symptoms include eyes that are itchy and watering. People with allergies may also experience shortness of breath if they have asthma or other related conditions.

“Generally if we’re seeing a lot more itchy watery eyes, sneezing, itchy nose, we’re thinking most likely it’s going to be allergies,” Dr. Shyam Joshi of Oregon Health & Science University said in a KGW report.

But Joshi told the TV station it’s not always easy to tell the difference between allergies and COVID-19 symptoms.

The CDC list shows that the signs for each can overlap. Those include:

• Coughing
• Tired
• Headaches
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Sneezing
• sore throat

“The range of symptoms for COVID-19 is quite broad, based on different variants,” Dr. Sara Narayan, an allergy and immunology specialist at Emerson Hospital in Massachusetts, said last month in an online post. “In addition, people who are vaccinated but have a breakthrough infection, may experience different symptoms than those who are not vaccinated. Symptoms of COVID-19 infections can now range from asymptomatic to mild upper or lower respiratory symptoms, to severe pneumonia.”

So, what do you do if you’re not sure what’s causing your symptoms? Health experts recommend getting a COVID-19 test early if you think you have the disease and seeking help if you have trouble breathing or show other signs of an emergency.

This story was originally published March 14, 2022 3:30 PM.