Can Allergies Give You Chills

What To Do If You Have Symptoms

In the past, you might have waited out mild symptoms like a cough or sore throat at home, but this year is different. “Even for mild symptoms, I would recommend testing,” Maragakis says. Call your doctor or local health department. Ask whether you need a COVID test, and how to get one. Many pharmacies and urgent care centers also offer them now, along with drive-up test centers.

While you wait for the results, take precautions. Stay home from work and keep your distance from other people, even in your own household, to avoid spreading the virus.

There are also tests to diagnose the flu, some of which can give you results in 10 to 15 minutes. One test can help pinpoint what’s ailing you by checking for both COVID-19 and two flu strains . The catch is that it may not be available everywhere. There are also many strains of flu, so a negative test doesnââ¬â¢t rule it out. Maragakis says other combined tests for COVID-19 and respiratory illnesses like the flu are being developed, as well as saliva tests that will make it easier and quicker for more people to learn whether they have the new coronavirus.

Cough Cough Sneeze Sniffle: Allergies Or Covid

If you’re an allergy sufferer, the arrival of warmer days not only signals the coming of spring, but it also means the onset of runny noses, sneezing and sniffles. If you haven’t already, you’ve probably found yourself asking, how do I know for certain if my symptoms are due to allergies or COVID-19?

“It can be a tricky question,” says Christie Barnes, MD, Nebraska Medicine otolaryngologist. “The key is to determine whether you are having additional symptoms on top of your normal allergy symptoms.”

This Q& A answers common questions you may have this fall as you manage your allergies and concerns about COVID-19.

What Are Some Of The Common Symptoms Of The Covid

Trouble breathing and shortness of breath have been telltale COVID-19 symptoms since the beginning. But the virus can cause a wide range of symptoms, some of which experts are still learning about. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , people with COVID-19 may have:

• A fever
• A runny or stuffy nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

COVID-19 symptoms can be mild or more severe regardless of your age or overall health, the CDC notes. But the chances of experiencing symptoms that make you feel really ill are higher if you havent been vaccinated. Symptoms in the unvaccinated population tend to be more severe, with high fever, fatigue, headache, cough, shortness of breath, and even low oxygen levels in the blood, Lynn Myers, M.D., family medicine physician with Texas Health Physicians Group, tells SELF. And its worth mentioning that you may experience muscle soreness, fatigue, chills, nausea, or fever for a few days after you receive a COVID-19 vaccine, according to the CDC.

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How You Can Tell The Difference Between Cold And Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

With both allergies and colds, its typical to have congestion or a runny nose, and to sneeze often. You may also feel tired and drowsy. But there are several other symptoms that dont often overlap between allergies and a cold. Here are some of the telltale differences between cold symptoms and allergy symptoms.

Allergies Body Aches And Other Symptoms

When you think of seasonal allergy symptoms, the first thing that comes to mind probably isn’t body aches. However, allergies do cause a full-body response. Your immune system decides that the offending substance is “foreign” and sends chemicals to fight it off. The most common symptoms of allergies often include:

• Sneezing
• Dark circles under the eyes
• Fatigue

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The Common Cold Symptoms

The common cold is the most common upper respiratory tract infection. More than 200 different viruses can cause colds. Symptoms usually develop 1 3 days after being exposed to the virus.

• It nearly always starts rapidly with throat irritation and stuffiness in the nose.
• Within hours, full-blown cold symptoms usually develop, which can include sneezing, mild sore throat, fever, minor headaches, muscle aches, and coughing.
• Fever is low-grade or absent. In small children, however, fever may be as high as 103 °F for 1 or 2 days. The fever should go down after that time, and be back to normal by the 5th day.
• Nasal discharge is usually clear and runny the first 1 3 days. It then thickens and becomes yellow to greenish.
• The sore throat is usually mild and lasts only about a day. A runny nose usually lasts 2 7 days, although coughing and nasal discharge can persist for more than 2 weeks.

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So Who Should Get Tested For Covid

Here’s what Dhar recommends:

• People who have symptoms of COVID-19.
• Most people who have had close contact with someone with confirmed COVID-19.
• Unvaccinated people who have taken part in activities that put them at higher risk for COVID-19 because they cannot physically distance to avoid exposure, such as travel, attending large social or mass gatherings, or being in crowded or poorly ventilated indoor settings.
• People who have been asked or referred to get tested by their health care provider, or health department.

The CDC recently recommended that fully vaccinated people who have a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 be tested three to five days after exposure, and to wear a mask in public, indoor settings for 14 days or until they receive a negative test result.

Dhar, who responded to questions from the Free Press in an email, noted that the CDC recommends that anyone with any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 get tested, regardless of vaccination status or prior infection.

More:GM issues warning to salary workers who have not reported vaccination status

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Common Symptoms For These People *:

* Approximation only. Some reports may have incomplete information.

Infection Due To A Kidney Stone

You might get chills because of an infection that starts when you have a kidney stone.

Sometimes minerals and salts stick together to form a hard mass inside your kidney called a kidney stone. This is more likely to happen if you don’t drink enough water each day, eat a diet that’s high in protein, or have a high body mass index

If the kidney stone irritates or blocks your urinary tract, it can cause an infection, which could cause chills.

Other symptoms you might get with kidney stones are:

• Pain in your side, back, belly, or groin
• Pain when you pee
• Pee more or less than you usually do
• Cloudy urine that smells funny

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Coronavirus: Fever + Cough + Shortness Of Breath

Although many people who come down with the flu may have a fever, an overwhelming majority of people who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 so far report that the disease started with a high temperature, according to Dr. Mehdizadeh.

Its such a heads-up about the condition, in fact, that health officials automatically check for a fever when they screen people for COVID-19 at places like airports and even the White House press room. This is absolutely the leading symptom, says Dr. Mehdizadeh, with a dry cough coming in at a close second.

Another major COVID-19 symptom that doesnt typically present with other illnesses is shortness of breath, Dr. Mehdizadeh adds. The flu might give you some respiratory symptoms like coughing and congestion, but it rarely causes air hunger, in which you feel like you cant get oxygen and you end up taking more breaths to compensate. Thats the situation with more advanced cases of COVID-19, he says.

In general, the main signs and symptoms of COVID-19 could vary and may include the following, per a February report of a joint World Health Organization-China mission:

• Fever
• Muscle pain
• Headaches

A small percentage of people whove had the virus also develop gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea or diarrhea, symptoms that dont always come with the flu in adults. These signs could also be indications of norovirus, but with that illness, youll likely have more severe GI symptoms like vomiting and stomach pain.

Is It Coronavirus Or Allergies

Allergies and viral infections can present in similar ways, especially nasal congestion, cough, sinus pressure, fatigue, and achiness, Tina Sindher, M.D., allergist with Stanford Health Care and clinical assistant professor at Stanford Medicine, tells SELF.

In fact, if you saw a Venn diagram with symptoms for COVID and allergies, thered be a whole lot of overlap. After all, anything that messes with your immune system can leave you feeling run down. Whats more, there are other viruses out there that can seem similar to COVID-19, which can complicate matters even more.

These similarities can make it challenging to know exactly whats going on in your body if you start feeling sick while the COVID-19 pandemic is happening. Having a good understanding of coronavirus symptoms and signs of seasonal allergies is a helpful first step.

If you have a fever , this is a big red flag that your symptoms may be associated with COVID-19 and not seasonal allergies. In response to an infection, your body temperature might increase in an attempt to kill pathogens. A higher temperature may also trigger your immune system to make more white blood cells and antibodies. You should not get a fever with allergies, Dr. Sindher says. If my patients who have allergy symptoms are reporting fever, Im concerned about an infection.

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You Feel Exhausted All The Time

When you think of allergies, you probably think of sneezing, wheezing, and rashes. Those are very common symptoms, but they aren’t the only ones! Cat allergies can also cause fatigue, leaving you feeling exhausted all the time. In fact, Healthline reports that experts give this type of fatigue a specific name â âbrain fogââ and itâs all to do with the inflammation.

âPeople with allergies experience inflammation,â ays from the Cleveland Clinic. âThat inflammation leads to a congested nose, disrupted sleep patterns and not getting good rest.â Itâs an easy symptom to overlook, as fatigue can have a variety of causes, but if it’s combined with some of the below symptoms, it could be a sign of allergies.

Reduce The Risk Of Illness

So, youve decided you want to avoid all of the above.

How do you protect yourself from COVID-19?

• Wear a face mask when you go out in public
• Wash your hands often with soap and clean, running water for at least 20 seconds.
• If you dont have access to soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer often. Make sure it has at least 60% alcohol.
• Dont touch your eyes, nose, or mouth unless you have clean hands.
• As much as possible, dont touch high-touch public surfaces such as doorknobs. Dont shake hands.
• Clean home and work surfaces often with disinfectant.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue, then throw the tissue into the trash. If you dont have tissues, cough or sneeze into the bend of your elbow.
• Stay away from people who are sick.
• Stay informed about COVID-19 in your area. Follow local instructions about being in public. Be aware of events in your community that may be postponed or canceled, such as school and sporting events. You may be advised to not attend public gatherings and to stay about 6 feet from others as much as possible. This is called social distancing.
• Check your home supplies. Consider keeping a 2-week supply of medicines, food, and other needed household items.
• Dont share eating or drinking utensils with sick people.
• Clean surfaces often with disinfectant.

How do you prevent the common cold?

And how do you prevent the flu?

And what about allergies?

Theres not much to do to prevent allergies, but you can help prevent the symptoms by:

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Start With Some Home Remedies For Cold And Allergy Symptoms

When you start feeling icky, some simple home remedies can provide temporary relief. For starters, try to get more rest. Both allergies and colds can cause tiredness, so listen to your body and take it easy.

Also, take advantage of saltwater to soothe irritated nasal passages and scratchy or sore throats.

For your nose, use a neti pot. A neti pot can be picked up at any local drugstore or online, and typically comes with packets to mix with warm, distilled water to create a saltwater solution to pour through your nasal passages.

For your throat, simply mix a quarter or half teaspoon of table salt into an 8-ounce glass of warm water. Take a sip and gargle for a few seconds like you would with mouthwash. Then spit and repeat until the solution is gone. You can do this a couple times a day.

What’s The Difference Between The Flu Covid

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, influenza and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 seems to spread more easily than the flu, and causes more serious illnesses in some people. It can also take longer before people show symptoms, and people can be contagious for longer.

Add colds and breakthrough infections, which occur in patients who have had the coronavirus vaccination and still get sick with the virus, to the difficulty of making a diagnosis.

Symptoms of breakthrough infections can include significant sinus and nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat and low-grade fever, Sullivan said. Symptoms of the common cold include runny nose, sore throat, coughing and congestion.

Dr. Diane George, a family medicine physician and chief medical officer for primary care for the Henry Ford Medical Group, said patients may be tempted to think they have a cold when they actually have a mild case of COVID-19, and decide to blow off getting tested, something she does not recommend.

“It’s really about knowing, so you can protect other people, who might be at more severe risk for COVID. You don’t want to spread it to people who could get seriously sick,” George said. “For your own sake, it’s important to know what you’re dealing with in case your symptoms get worse.”

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Preventing And Responding To Allergies Vs Cold Or Flu

Prevention, of course, is the best cure for allergies, cold, and flu. The best way to prevent allergy symptoms is to avoid the things youre allergic to whenever possible. If that isnt possible, consult your physician about the possibility of allergy prescriptions you can take year-round or when your allergy symptoms are at their worst. Or, you can consider getting antigen therapy for allergies.

For flu and virus, the number one thing you can do is wash your hands. Wash them well and wash them often. Also, avoid being around people who are sick and may transmit the cold or flu to you. If you do develop the flu, stay home so that you do not spread it to others.

Staying home and taking care of yourself is ideal if you have one of these conditions. However, if your symptoms last more than 10 days or if they seem unusual or severe, you should come see us here at Houston ENT & Allergy Services. If you are among the high risk-group mentioned above for flu, you should contact us as soon as you begin to experience symptoms.

Heres How To Prevent Getting Covid

You probably know this already, given how long weve been dealing with this pandemic, but just to reiterate: The coronavirus is a highly contagious infection that spreads through respiratory droplets and airborne aerosols containing the virus, according to the CDC. Getting vaccinated is the best way to reduce your chance of contracting the virusand avoid spreading it to others, the CDC notes.

Beyond that, continue sticking with all the best COVID-19 practices youve learned over the last 18-plus months too. Steer clear of large crowds and poorly ventilated spaces and wear a mask indoors if case rates are high in your community, especially if youre unvaccinated or have a health condition that puts you at high risk of severe complications, the CDC recommends. Keep on washing your hands frequently or using hand sanitizer when soap and water arent available.

Finally, if you think youve been exposed to COVID-19 or are experiencing possible symptoms, stay home and avoid contact with others until you can get tested. The R& R will do your body good and youll reduce your chances of infecting anyone else.

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Spring Is Here 5 Things Allergy Sufferers Need To Know

Due to global climate changes, allergists warn that spring allergy season continues to worsen each year. Dr. Jigisha Morosky, an allergist/immunologist with Starling Physicians, addresses the most common questions about seasonal allergies.

How do you know if it is a cold, allergy or COVID?

Sometimes it is difficult for people to determine if sniffles, sneezes, sore throat and coughs are caused by allergies, a cold or even sinusitis. Dr. Morosky explains that nasal allergy symptoms and common cold symptoms are essentially identical. Variables we examine are exposure to an allergen, like pollen or a pet, the duration of symptoms months versus 1 to 2 weeks, and if there is improvement while taking allergy medications.

Spring allergies can cause itchy water eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat, sneezing, coughing and even hives. The symptoms of a cold are often characterized by runny nose, sore throat and cough. Patients with severe seasonal allergies can feel very fatigued and have low grade fever making the distinction even harder.

Acute sinusitis is characterized by a stuffy or runny nose accompanied by pain in the forehead and/or over the cheeks. Often both the common cold and allergies can cause swelling of the nasal passages, which prevent the sinuses from draining, then this can lead to sinusitis. Sinusitis can be treated with antibiotics, however it often recurs if due to uncontrolled allergies.

What are best over the counter methods to treat allergies?