It’s been a few weeks since the official start of spring. You may have noticed a warm climate, plant germination, and unfortunate side effects, horrific allergic symptoms.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 60 million Americans suffer from seasonal allergies each year.
Allergic symptoms are reactions to foreign substances that the body may encounter, such as pollen and mites. To fight these foreign substances, your body releases chemicals that cause reactions that can have the following consequences:
- Cough due to post-nasal drip
- Stuffy nose or runny nose.
- Clear throat
- Itching and teary eyes
- sneeze
- Sore throat and scratches
- Symptoms of asthma (shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, chest tightness)
Cold, COVID-19, or allergies?
People often confuse spring colds with allergies, but this is not surprising as the symptoms can be very similar. Allergic symptoms usually occur suddenly and last longer than a cold. Other differences between allergies and colds are:
- Allergies do not cause fever
- Allergies are not contagious
- Itchy watery eyes are common in allergies
COVID-19 should be ruled out if something more serious than an allergy or cold seems to be happening. Yes, the number of cases of COVID-19 is decreasing, but the virus remains a threat to the health of our community. It is important to know how to distinguish COVID-19 from allergies and colds.
With COVID-19, you may experience new odors and taste loss, muscle aches, malaise, dyspnea, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. All of these are symptoms that are unlikely to be due to an allergy or cold.
If you suspect you may be infected with COVID-19, it is important to immediately quarantine and contact your healthcare provider.
Treatment of allergic symptoms.
The first step is to avoid allergies and try over-the-counter antihistamines. If that doesn’t work, your doctor may recommend one or more of the following options:
Prescription antihistamine — Most antihistamines are currently on the market, but some are only available by prescription.
Nasal spray — A drug that reduces nasal congestion, runny nose, and swelling of the nose that causes itching.
Inhaler — A drug inhaled into the lungs that open the airways. Inhalers can include rescue inhalers used for daily use or immediate symptom relief.
Allergy injection or immunotherapy — A series of injections that desensitize the immune system to the allergens that cause the symptoms. The goal of treatment is to retrain the immune system to recognize that allergens are not dangerous and reduce the frequency or severity of allergic symptoms.
Allergies can be unpleasant, but your doctor can help you determine what is causing your allergies and make a treatment plan that works for you. If you have symptoms like allergies for more than 10 days, talk to your healthcare provider.
Nathaniel Hare, MD, belongs to UPMC Allergy and Immunology and sees patients at UPMC Williamsport, Divine Providence Campus, 1705 Warren Ave., Suite 303 and Williamsport. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Hair, call (570) 320-7070. For more information, please visit: UPMC.com/AllergyNCPA..
