How Can You Tell if You Are Suffering from Allergies?

When you're sneezing your head off, you might not care what's causing it, just that you want it to stop. You can feel like you're at death's door when you only took a whiff of your sister's bouquet. Between grabbing a tissue and taking something for pain, you might check on the internet (yet again!) to remind you of the symptoms of what you could have. The upshot is there is not one definite way to tell what your illness is unless it's something that you can be tested for like COVID, some allergies, and maybe the flu. Some of the general symptoms to help determine if you're suffering (yes, suffering!) from allergies or something else include the following.

Symptoms of Allergies

Allergies can be caused by many things like pet dander, dust. food, medication, or detergent. Seasonal allergies are usually due to pollen and new growth on plants, trees and flowers blowing around in the air and irritating your system. Symptoms of seasonal allergies (and some other allergies) can include: 

• Usually, runny, stuffy nose with clear or light-colored mucus
• Usually, itchy eyes, nose and/or face
• Sometimes, loss of smell and/or taste
• Sometimes, red, swollen, and/or itchy rash
• Sometimes, shortness of breath
• Sometimes, conjunctivitis (pink eye)
• Sometimes, cough

Call your doctor if:

• You are having serious shortness of breath
• You scratch so hard you are bleeding and cannot sleep
• You have been exposed to COVID

Symptoms of a Cold

Symptoms of a cold can include:

• Runny, stuffy nose with light to dark yellow to sometimes greenish mucus
• Cough
• Sometimes, headache
• Sometimes, fever
• Sometimes, body aches

Call your doctor if:

• You experience very green mucus that doesn't go away (could mean infection)
• You have been exposed to COVID

Symptoms of the Flu

Symptoms of the flu can include:

• Usually, cough
• Usually, body aches
• Usually, sore throat
• Usually, runny, stuffy nose
• Usually, fever
• Usually, tired
• Sometimes, nausea and/or vomiting
• Sometimes, diarrhea
• Sometimes, shortness of breath

Call your doctor if:

• Symptoms do not go away 
• You experience high fever
• You have been exposed to COVID

Symptoms of COVID

When COVID got into the mix, it really messed with our diagnosing capabilities. So many of the symptoms are similar to other illnesses like allergies, a cold, or the flu. That is why it is some important to check with your doctor if you have been exposed to COVID. General symptoms of COVID can include: 

• Usually, dry cough
• Usually, muscle aches
• Usually, tired
• Usually, shortness of breath
• Usually, fever
• Often, loss of taste and/or smell that is new
• Sometimes, diarrhea
• Sometimes, nausea and/or vomiting

Call your doctor if:

• You have serious trouble breathing
• You have been exposed to COVID or have tested positive for COVID

Call us at Complete Care Medical today with questions about medical and health products. We know it can be very difficult to tell if what you are experiencing is from allergies or something else. We are here to offer guidance and medical supplies that might help with unpleasant symptoms you are experiencing.