Fall is officially here, the weather is finally starting to agree—in that it’s Indiana and can go from 50 to 90 and back again with no warning.
Which is great for your sinuses! SARCASM. Sinus and allergy issues have returned with the color red in the fall foliage, but with an extra caveat again this year.
Is it really allergies, or is it COVID-19?
Here’s the problem: The symptoms can overlap. Both can give you a headache. Both can give you nasal congestion. Ditto a dry cough, wheezing, a sore throat … Even some of the “classic” coronavirus symptoms, like shortness of breath, can also be allergies. So, what’s a sniffly person to do?
Well, there are a few questions you can ask yourself. Do you have a longstanding allergy history? Is itchiness among your symptoms? That’s not COVID-19.
Do you have a fever? Are you 50 or older and these “allergy” symptoms have hit you out of the blue? That’s probably not actually allergies.
This link has a very handy chart. But add in regular ol’ colds and what is predicted to be a more active flu season this time around, and it’s just going to be too hard to tell in many cases.
In which case, call us up! You are not wasting a physician’s time when you come get tested for COVID-19 and wind up finding you’re allergic to dried leaves. You are being a responsible citizen who values their own as well as their neighbors’ health. And for that, we will thank you.