It’s that time of year where people start coughing, itching, sneezing and wheezing.

But in today’s world, people might wonder if they have a seasonal allergy, a common cold, influenza or COVID-19.

Dr. Laura Anderson, market medical director for MountainStar Healthcare CareNow Utah, said many symptoms can overlap, making it confusing for people to tell the difference.

“Seasonal allergies or allergic rhinitis usually occur when pollen season begins for trees and grass, meaning the spring. How long do allergies typically last? That depends on exactly what it is someone is specifically allergic to,” Anderson said. “For some folks it’s a few weeks, for others it can be two to three months. And, for some unlucky people, there’s something in the environment that they’re allergic to all year long.”

When it comes to seasonal allergies and hay fever, the most common symptoms are sneezing, watery eyes, nasal congestion and runny nose, as well as itchiness of the throat and eyes.

“Itchiness is highly unlikely with COVID,” Anderson said. “Typically, cough is absent in allergies, unless you have asthma, in which case a cough can be present, but it’s usually dry or tight. Someone with asthma may also experience wheezing with allergies.”

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America reports that more than 50 million Americans experience some type of allergy each year. Additionally, allergies are the 6th leading cause of chronic illness in the country. Hay fever affects 5.2 million children and 19.2 million adults.

In 2018, 7.7% of adults and 7.2% of children were diagnosed with hay fever, according to AAFA. Many people oftentimes have more than one allergy — including trees, grass, weed pollen, mold spores, dust mites, cockroaches, cats, dogs and rodent dander.

Symptoms of colds and COVID-19 overlap too much to differentiate in significant ways, Anderson said. For some people, COVID symptoms are more severe and include fever, body aches, sore throat, nasal congestion and cough, but it’s dependent upon strains and variants.

Influenza can come on rapidly, according to the National Institutes of Health. Symptoms include fever, chills, muscle aches, cough, congestion, runny nose, headaches, and fatigue.

“Loss of smell and taste is truly a unique COVID symptoms, but most people don’t experience this symptom,” Anderson said. “A COVID test is really the only way to know with certainty. There are plenty of free or inexpensive rapid COVID tests available that you can buy at drug stores.

Anderson said once you have figured out what you’re suffering from, you can manage the symptoms with different treatment options. For upper respiratory infections, over-the-counter cough suppressants and nasal decongestants may help. Seasonal allergies can be treated with antihistamines and nasal steroids. COVID can be treated with oral antiviral medications and wheezing or tightness in the chest may respond to bronchodilators.

Newsletter