The hay fever season has started. The symptoms of hay fever sufferers are very similar to those of people with corona. Many will therefore be faced with the dilemma: to test or not?
Niesschaamte, is a word that was coined in the spring of 2020 when the corona was active in the Netherlands and there was also a lot of sneezing due to the increase in pollen. For most hay fever patients, it feels a bit uncomfortable to go out sniffling. A lot of people are now bothered by the pollen floating in the air – with the accompanying complaints. And so the looks of others come back when you sniff through the store.
Also read: Which pollens cause hay fever
Overview of complaints and symptoms of hay fever
As mentioned, the complaints of hay fever are very similar to a bad cold. They express themselves in:
- Running nose
- Stuffy nose
- Sneezing
- Itching
- Watery and itchy eyes
- Tickling cough
- Stuffiness
- Fatigue
- Concentration problems
- Bad sleeping
- Headache
Corona symptoms
The most common symptoms:
- fever
- dry cough
- fatigue
Less common symptoms:
- pain in the body
- sore throat
- diarrhea
- conjunctivitis
- headache
- impaired taste or smell
- skin rash or discoloration of the fingers or toes
Severe Symptoms:
- shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- pain or pressure in the chest
- impaired speech or movement ability
Hay fever or coronavirus
“Symptoms of an allergy appear as soon as you are exposed to certain amounts of pollen and allergens in the air, for example when you go outside,” explains Belgian virologist Steven van Gucht. The complaints also get worse when you are outside. “With Covid-19 the symptoms usually persist, even if you stay indoors.” Another side effect is that with hay fever you usually have the same complaints every year in about the same period.
A runny nose, watery and itchy eyes are typical symptoms of hay fever and not of covid-19. Nevertheless, a runny nose can sometimes also be the start of corona, according to the RIVM.
Fever or muscle pain
Also, an allergy usually does not cause a fever or muscle pain. Usually you will suffer from a runny or blocked nose, cough, red or itchy eyes and some slight fatigue. With Covid-19 you can develop a fever and often it starts with sudden and severe fatigue. Muscle pain is also often mentioned and these are things that often do not occur with an allergy.
Advice from the RIVM
When in doubt or when complaints feel different than you are used to from hay fever, you should stay at home, according to the RIVM. When the complaints go in, you have hay fever and you do not need to be tested. “If the complaints continue, have them tested”, the RIVM advises
You can read tips for hay fever here on Healthenco.nl
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