I have a stuffy nose. How can you tell if it’s hay fever, Covid or something else?

Hay fever (also called allergic rhinitis) affects 24% Australians. Symptoms include sneezing, a runny nose (which can make your nose feel stuffy or stuffy) and itchy eyes. People may also experience itching in the nose, throat, or ears.

However, COVID is still spreading, and other viruses can cause cold-like symptoms. So how do you know which one you have?

Remind me how hay fever causes symptoms?

Hay fever This happens when a person becomes “allergic” to an allergen trigger. This means that the human body is always prepared to respond to this trigger.

Triggers may include airborne allergens (such as tree, grass and flower pollen), mold spores, animals or house dust mites, which live mainly in people’s mattresses and bedding and feed on shed skin.

When the body is exposed to a trigger, it produces IgE (immunoglobulin E) antibodies. They cause the release of many chemicals produced by the body, including histamine, which causes hay fever symptoms.

In people with asthma, asthma symptoms (coughing, wheezing, chest tightness or difficulty breathing) may worsen after exposure to airborne allergens. Spring, and sometimes summer, can be the worst time for people with allergies to grass, trees or flowers.

However, house and pet dust mite symptoms usually occur year-round.

What else could be causing my symptoms?

Hay fever does not cause fever, sore throat, muscle aches, weakness, loss of taste or smell, or expectoration of mucus.

These symptoms are likely caused by a virus such as COVID, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), or the “common chilly” (often caused by rhinoviruses). These conditions can occur year-round, and symptoms overlap:

The coronavirus is still surrounding us. RSV and flu rates seem higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic, but that may be the case due to more testing.

So if you have a fever, sore throat, muscle aches, weakness, fatigue or are coughing up mucus, stay home and avoid being around other people to reduce the transmission of the virus.

People with Covid-19 symptoms can take a rapid antigen test (RAT), preferably when symptoms beginthen isolate until symptoms subside. Only one negative RAT coronavirus infection cannot be ruled out if symptoms are still present, so if symptoms are still present, test again 24-48 hours after the first test.

You can now test for Covid-19, RSV and flu at: connected RAT. But again, a negative test does not rule out the virus. If symptoms persist, test again 24-48 hours after the previous test.

If it’s hay fever, how do you treat it?

Treatment involves blocking the release of histamine in the body by taking antihistamines, which facilitate relieve symptoms.

Doctors, nurses and pharmacists can develop: hay fever care plan. This may include using a nasal spray containing a topical corticosteroid to facilitate reduce swelling inside the nose that is causing shortness of breath or blockage.

Nasal sprays should be provided using the correct technique and used for several weeks to function properly. Often these sprays can also facilitate reduce itchy eyes caused by hay fever.

Drying bedding and pajamas inside during spring relieve symptomsjust like placing a a bit of Vaseline in the nostrils when going outside. The pollen sticks to the Vaseline, and gently blowing your nose later removes it.

People with asthma should also have it asthma planwritten by a doctor or nurse explaining how to adjust medicines to relieve and prevent asthma during hay fever season or when exposed to allergens.

People with asthma must be like that too warn against stormswhere pollen can break down into smaller particles, enter the respiratory tract and cause a solemn asthma attack or even death.

What if it’s Covid, RSV or the flu?

Australians aged 70 years and over and others with underlying health conditions who have tested positive for Covid-19 qualifies for the use of antiviral drugs to reduce the risk of severe disease.

Most other people with Covid-19, RSV and flu will recover at home with rest, fluids and paracetamol to relieve symptoms. However, some groups are at greater risk of developing solemn illness and may require additional treatment or hospitalization.

For RSVthis includes premature babies, infants aged 12 months and younger, children under two years of age with other medical conditions, adults over the age of 75, people with heart and lung disease or conditions that impair the immune system’s response.

In the case of influenza, people at higher risk people with severe illness include pregnant women, Aboriginal people, people under the age of five or over 65, or people with long-term health conditions such as kidney, heart, lung or liver disease, diabetes and compromised immunity.

If you are concerned about solemn symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 or influenza, consult your doctor or call 000 in an emergency.

If your symptoms are gentle but persist and you’re not sure what’s causing them, make an appointment with your doctor or nurse. Even though it’s hay fever season, we need to avoid the spread of other solemn infections.

For more information you can call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria); operate Online symptom checker; or visit healthdirect.gov.au or Australian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy.