How to Tell if It’s Allergies, COVID, or Something Else

We may have reached the point where it’s harder than ever to distinguish the average case of COVID-19 from a milder case of sniffles, or even your seasonal bout of allergies. So if you’re experiencing less-than-specific symptoms and aren’t sure if you can leave the house (viruses are contagious, allergies aren’t), know that you’re not alone.

“It’s very common for people with allergies to think they have a series of viral infections,” said Dr Geoff Rutledge, chief medical officer of HealthTap, a telehealth company. And on the other end – some people have reported symptoms of new variant COVID-19 which are usually allergy related, including pink eye. This can make it even harder to know what’s bothering you and why it’s still important to test for COVID-19 if you plan to be around other people.

However, some symptoms and clues are “highly suggestive” that you’re having a virus versus seasonal allergies, or vice versa, Rutledge says.

Allergies (also called allergic rhinitis or hay fever) affect millions of adults and children every year and are caused by pollen or debris in the air that triggers an immune reaction and the symptoms that follow – sneezing or itching, for example.

The viruses of which COVID-19Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the flu too trigger symptoms of a disease infecting the body and the immune system responds, but they can also cause secondary infectionssuch as sinus infections.

Here’s what you need to know about the differences between allergies and a virus.

Quick tips to help check if it’s allergies or a virus

In general, when it comes to distinguishing one disease from another: “When in doubt, it is always best to ask a health professional to confirm the diagnosis,” says Dr. Jennifer Bourgeois, expert in pharmacy at SingleCare, said in an email. That being said, there are some clues you can use to help you get the right medication or plan your week accordingly.

If you have a fever, it’s not allergies

While “fever” is in the name, hay fever does not actually cause a fever, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. However, if you have a sinus infection or another bacterial infection, it can cause fever and can be caused “sometimes secondarily” by allergies, according to Rutledge.

If you’re really itchy, it could be allergies

“Allergies typically cause itching of the eyes, nose, or upper mouth, which isn’t usually common in viral infections,” Bourgeois said. It is important to note that although it is difficult to pinpoint symptoms to specific variants of COVID-19, there have been some reports of more cases of conjunctivitis or pink eye with the latest version of the virus. Viruses and bacteria can also cause pink eyes, which in turn can cause itching around the eyes.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, other symptoms Besides itching, allergic rhinitis includes congestion, sneezing, headache and sinus pain, dark circles under the eyes, increased mucus, postnasal drip (mucus that drains to the bottom of the throat), difficulty in breathing and tiredness or a general feeling of being unwell.

Take the antihistamine test

For people who suffer from seasonal allergies, but aren’t quite sure if that stuffy feeling is from the same cold your friend had or from the familiar allergies that typically occur around this time of year, Rutledge suggests what he calls a “treatment trial” of taking an over-the-counter antihistamine to see if it resolves your symptoms.

“There are specific treatments that only work for allergies,” he said, and antihistamines are one of them. Histamine is what your body releases when you have an allergy and your immune system is activated. Antihistamines work by block the effects of histamine and help many allergy symptoms. On that note, if you have sinus pain or sneezing and your symptoms improve after taking a histamine, it may be safe to say you have allergies.

Take a COVID-19 test

This one is pretty simple, but the best way to tell if you have COVID-19 or something else is to take a home test, or a more accurate lab test in a doctor’s office. This may be especially important if you anticipate being around someone who is older or otherwise at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19.

Learn more: FDA authorizes another COVID recall for seniors

What are the most common symptoms of COVID-19 right now?

While the US Centers for Disease Control has a long list of Covid-19 symptoms, the severity of illness and symptoms will depend on your age and other factors such as the circulating strain of COVID-19. The UK-based ZOE Health Study is a good benchmark for the “most popular” symptoms of COVID-19, as its researchers tracked the course of COVID-19 symptoms by collecting information from people around the world. countries with a positive test who offer their symptoms. Since December 2022, the 10 most common symptoms of COVID-19 in the UK, according to ZOE, were:

What are effective allergy treatments?

The type of medicine you need depends on the symptoms you have.

“Each medication is designed to treat specific symptoms, so it’s important to find the right over-the-counter medication to manage and relieve your symptoms,” Bourgeois said. For example, antihistamines like Claritin or Zyrtec are standard allergy medications, but you may also find relief with a decongestant.

In a pinch, a fever-reducing drug like ibuprofen could also work for allergies because they have anti-inflammatory properties, Bourgeois said.

You could even try to stop allergy symptoms before they start with a steroid nasal spray, according to Bourgeois. They do the work before you are exposed to airborne allergens.

“It’s best to start the steroid nasal spray a few weeks before the allergy season that triggers your symptoms and continue for the duration of the season, as it’s usually not necessary to use the steroid nasal spray all the year,” she said.

If you choose to do a nasal rinse after symptoms and mucus appear, Bourgeois refers to the CDC’s guidance for perform it safely with sterile equipment.

Many people will manage allergy symptoms with the help of their GP or the right medication, Rutledge says, and won’t need additional medical help. But if you’re still not getting relief from your symptoms and you’ve done some detective work on the cause of your allergies, then you might be a good candidate for clinical allergy tests or a follow-up appointment with a specialist to get to the source, according to Rutledge.