Stuffy nose, post nasal drip, sneezing and wheezing – ah, the joys of fall allergy season… or is it something else?
According to Cleveland Clinic allergist Sandra Hong, MD, fall allergy symptoms can be easily confused with those of COVID-19. So, how do we tell them apart?
“Things that, I think, make a difference and help you decide, is it allergies or is it COVID? With COVID we don’t have as much sneezing and as much itching,” she explains. “So, if you’ve noticed every single year that you’ve gotten the same sorts of symptoms during the fall time, it probably is more allergy-related.”
Dr. Hong says fever and loss of taste and smell are possible with severe allergies, but more common with COVID-19.
Fatigue is also a COVID-related symptom, but allergy suffers can feel fatigued, too. However, when fatigue is allergy-related, it can sometimes be due to allergy medications causing drowsiness. If that’s the case, Dr. Hong says simply stopping or changing to a non-sedating medication can help.
In addition, a stuffy nose from allergies may make it hard to breathe at night and disrupt sleep patterns, making it hard to focus during the day. But, according to Dr. Hong, COVID-related fatigue is different and often debilitating.
“COVID fatigue however, a lot of times people have fevers, a lot of times people are actually really achy with COVID and they feel really fatigued so much so that they just don’t want to get out of bed. We don’t see that nearly as much with allergies unless they are extremely severe allergies,” says Dr. Hong.
If you’re unsure and concerned about your symptoms, call your healthcare provider to help determine what you’re dealing with. If someone is suffering from severe symptoms, like difficulty breathing, it’s best to seek emergency care.
And while we’re talking about COVID-19, the CDC is now recommending booster shots for certain populations who previously received the Pfizer vaccine. This includes adults who are 65 years and older.
Ardeshir Hashmi, MD, Section Chief of geriatrics for Cleveland Clinic and a Boomer columnist, says this age group is more vulnerable to the virus.
“People who are older who do get COVID, they have more likelihood of being hospitalized and also increased risk of mortality. 80% of the COVID deaths that we’re seeing are all above the age of 65. So as much protection as you can get to shore up those defenses, the better,” says Dr. Hashmi.
While the vaccine is effective, immunity can wane over time – which is why the booster shot is recommended.
It’s important to note that only those who received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine are eligible at the moment. And their last shot had to have been at least six months ago.
Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are not offering booster shots at this time. However, that is expected to change in the near future. Dr. Hashmi encourages everyone to get the booster shot if they qualify, especially with the highly contagious Delta variant circulating.
“The Delta variant is more contagious and also very, very impactful in terms of mortality and hospitalizations and just severity of illness. The symptoms can be quite profound,” he says.
Dr. Hashmi says older individuals should also continue to take other safety precautions, like wearing a mask, regularly washing their hands and practicing social distancing.
