Spring allergies are rapidly approaching, and many patients are already experiencing seasonal symptoms. It can be difficult to tell the difference between a respiratory viral infection and allergies at times, which is especially concerning given the current COVID-19 pandemic. Coughing can be caused by allergies or viral infections. There are, however, a few key differences that can help distinguish allergies from viral infections.

Symptoms of allergies

Allergies are immune reactions to common environmental substances like pollen and animal dander. Airborne allergies, unlike airborne viruses, are not contagious. The three basic symptoms of airborne allergens are allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and asthma. Allergic rhinitis causes symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose, post-nasal drip, stuffy nose, nasal itching, sore throat, and cough. Cough, shortness of breath, and wheezing are signs of asthma, whereas red, itchy, and watery eyes are symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis. Allergies are quite widespread, affecting as much as 30% of the population. As a result, patients are far more likely to develop allergy symptoms than COVID-19 symptoms.

Symptoms of viral infections

Fever, cough, and shortness of breath are all symptoms of the COVID-19 airborne virus. Aches and pains, nasal congestion, sore throat, and diarrhea are less common symptoms.

Cold and flu viruses are common and can mimic the symptoms of COVID-19. Cold viruses cause symptoms such as runny noses, sneezing, sore throats, aches and pains, and coughing. They rarely cause shortness of breath or fever in people. Fever, cough, sore throat, headaches, tiredness, and diarrhea are all symptoms of the flu virus. Headache, loss of smell (anosmia) and taste (ageusia), nasal congestion and runny nose, cough, muscular discomfort, sore throat, fever, diarrhea, and breathing difficulties are all symptoms of the COVID-19 airborne virus. As a result, persons with these symptoms may require testing for both influenza and COVID-19 airborne virus.

Difference between allergies and viral infections

Fever is not usually caused by allergies. The primary allergens in the spring are tree pollens (early spring) and grass pollens (late spring). Seasonal allergy symptoms are generally correlated with pollen levels and appear within minutes of being outside (and improve when indoors). Furthermore, allergies are persistent, so problems that arose in prior springs are likely to reoccur this spring. Allergy symptoms typically manifest in clusters, thus nasal and ocular problems frequently coexist. Patients who have persistent allergic rhinitis and allergic sinusitis are more prone to develop asthma.

Medication usually works effectively for allergy problems. Over-the-counter drugs such as an oral antihistamine, an antihistamine eye drop, and a steroid nasal spray are used as the first line of therapy. If those do not work, prescription allergy drugs and allergy immunotherapy (allergy injections) can be quite beneficial. Inhalers can relieve acute asthma symptoms, but a prescription-controlled inhaler may be required to control persistent asthma flares.

The content of this post is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, or as a substitute for the medical advice of your physician.