There’s a lot to love about spring: warmer weather, longer days, fewer layers. However, with these post-winter perks comes allergy season—a time when pollen and mold spores mess with the nasal passages of roughly 1 in 4 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The obvious solution to your springtime sniffles would be to pop an antihistamine and call it a day, right? But what if your symptoms aren’t being caused by allergies?
Thanks to the one-two punch of seasonal allergy symptoms intensifying, both in severity and duration (more on that in a minute), and the buffet of respiratory illnesses lingering in the air these days, distinguishing between seasonal allergy, cold and COVID-19 symptoms has become a tricky business.
It’s become tricky, but not impossible to navigate, allergists say. Despite overlapping symptoms, there are key differentiating factors between each illness that can help you get to the bottom of why you feel so icky.
Why your seasonal allergy symptoms feel worse than usual
There are a few different notable seasonal allergies. Pollen is the allergy trigger most likely to trip up your immune system. From February to May, tree pollen becomes rampant. From April to June, people allergic to grass might see their allergies flare up. And from August to November, weeds release the most pollen.
Outdoor molds (think: rotting wood, compost piles) can also cause allergy symptoms. Similar to pollen, molds reproduce by spreading spores through the air. Mold spore counts tend to peak in July in warm states and October in colder ones, while maintaining a year-round presence in the South and on the West Coast.
If your seasonal allergies seem more intense and relentless than they used to be, you’re not imagining things. Much of the reason for this can be attributed to climate change. According to the CDC, warmer temperatures, shifts in precipitation patterns and more carbon dioxide emissions are among some of the changes affecting the duration and timing of pollen season and the levels of pollen plants produce.
“For most people who are sensitive to a variety of trees, grasses and weeds, this will likely cause a significant worsening of symptoms,” says Dr. Carolyn Kwiat, an allergy and immunology specialist based in New York.
Weather extremes all have an impact on certain environmental allergens, she adds. Rainfall decreases total airborne allergens, for instance, so droughts can worsen flares in symptoms. On the flip side, floods and intense tropical storms have been shown to increase mold exposure.
As allergy symptoms worsen, it can be hard to tell if you’re experiencing allergies or something else, like COVID-19 or a common cold.
“Seasonal allergies, colds and COVID-19 can all cause a runny nose, congestion, fatigue and a general sense of malaise,” Kwiat says. “Severe nasal congestion, in particular, can lead to postnasal drip and a sore throat, which can make differentiating between the three even more difficult.”
Do you have seasonal allergies?
These are the telltale signs allergists recommend looking out for that can indicate which illness you’re probably up against.
It’s most likely seasonal allergies if:
- Symptom onset is abrupt and specifically timed. If symptoms hit quickly, and mainly appear when the seasons change or on days with high pollen counts, they’re probably because of environmental allergies, Kwiat says. Colds and COVID-19 tend to gradually set in (never on a specific timetable, probably following contact with others who are sick), with symptoms usually appearing one to three days after exposure for a cold and two to 14 days for COVID-19.
- Symptoms are chronic and fluctuate in severity. Seasonal allergy symptoms — you guessed it — last the entire season and tend to fluctuate based on allergen exposure levels. They improve once the allergen is no longer present. Cold and COVID-19 symptoms, on the other hand, are because of contracting a virus. They start out strong, then taper off as your body fights the infection.
- Besides the sneezing and stuffy nose, you’re also super-itchy. Itchiness of the eyes, ears, nose, throat and skin is a predominant symptom of allergies not characteristic of the common cold or COVID-19. “The itching comes specifically from histamine, a substance released by the body during an allergic response to a trigger,” says Dr. Jeanne Lomas, director of allergy and immunology at WellNow Allergy in New York.
It’s less likely seasonal allergies if:
- You have a fever. “Allergies typically don’t cause a fever, which is a body temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher,” Kwiat says. Infections cause most fevers. While colds can sometimes cause them, fevers appear much more frequently with COVID-19.
Do you have a cold?
It’s most likely a cold if:
- Your symptoms start during cold weather. Seasonal allergies are typically less severe in the winter months, since no pollen is in the air, Kwiat says. We’re more likely to catch a cold or COVID-19 during cold weather. Staying inside increases our contact with others — and the odds of contracting circulating viruses.
- One of your first symptoms is a sore throat. Roughly half of all people with colds report a tickly, sore throat as their first symptom, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
- Your mucus changes color. Discharge from your nose usually starts out clear during a cold, then becomes thicker and turns yellow or green as the cold runs its course. With allergies, mucus tends to stay clear, thin and watery.
It’s less likely a cold if:
- You have a persistent dry cough. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), dry coughs are more prevalent with allergies and COVID-19 than they are with colds. Colds tend to cause mild, but wet coughs.
It’s most likely COVID-19 if:
- You’re having trouble breathing. “COVID-19 is more likely to cause severe respiratory symptoms, such as shortness of breath,” Kwiat says. Seasonal allergies and colds don’t usually trigger breathing issues unless there’s an underlying respiratory condition, such as asthma.
- You’ve lost your sense of taste and/or smell. More than 8 in 10 people with COVID-19 may lose their sense of smell and taste, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Allergies and colds can mess with your sense of smell due to the nasal congestion, but it’s a temporary thing.
- You’re experiencing flu-like symptoms. “Similar to the flu or other systemic viral infections, COVID-19 is more likely to cause fever, chills, headaches, severe body aches, nausea and diarrhea,” Lomas says, all of which are highly unlikely in allergies and colds.
It’s less likely it’s COVID-19 if:
- You’re constantly sneezing. Frequent sneezing is more common in allergies and colds than COVID-19, according to the AAFA. It’s not clear as to why, but one possible theory could be that allergies and colds typically set up shop in the upper respiratory tract (nose and throat), while COVID-19 seems to favor the lower (lungs).
The benefits of getting tested for allergies
To minimize seasonal allergy symptoms and better differentiate between respiratory illnesses, you might want to find an allergist near you and get skin testing done to determine your specific allergy triggers.
Helpful over-the-counter strategies for allergy relief include steering clear of the allergens that make your immune system react, popping antihistamines, and wearing a mask when you’re out and about. Here are some comparisons of the types of over-the-counter allergy meds you might find at the pharmacy.
Another option for seasonal allergies is allergen immunotherapy, which is given via shots or tablets. “It works by giving you small, controlled doses of what you’re allergic to and helps the body build up tolerance over time,” Lomas says.
Your immune system will eventually stop recognizing these benign substances as harmful — so when future illnesses strike, you’ll have a much better idea of what you’re fighting.