Ladies and Gentlemen... It looks like that wonderful time of the year has arrived in the Panhandle, and I'm not talking about warmer temperatures and longer afternoons... I'm talking about the glory that is allergies!

There are two types of people who live here in the Golden Spread... those who have allergies and those who will eventually get allergies. Yep, grab those antihistamines and let's dive into what I think will be the Panhandle's newest game... Is it Allergies or Covid-19?!

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Let's get something out of the way first for obvious reasons. I am not a doctor with a medical degree and this should not be taken as or substituted as medical advice... you should ALWAYS consult with your physician if you feel you might be suffering from either.

Legalities aside... let's dig into this.

Woman with allergy symptom blowing nose
Photodjo
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Where are you suffering?

When it comes to figuring out if it's allergies vs Covid-19 the first thing to look at is where are you having most of your issues? Most allergy symptoms don't come with fever or any kinds of body aches or pains and often times manifest themselves in the nasal and sinus cavities and occasionally the ear. Usually in the form of:

  • Sneezing
  • Runny nose with or without post nasal drip
  • Itchy sinus, throat or ear canals
  • Itchy or watery eyes

It's rare, but occasionally allergy sufferers will see the occasional headache along with coughing and wheezing but that is the exception not the rule. The other key ingredient here is no fever. Take a look at the calendar, too... allergies are seasonal and generally easy to predict and recall.

Sick woman lying with thermometer
BartekSzewczyk
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To be fair, before we jump into the possibility of Covid-19, Many of the symptoms between Covid-19 and the common cold are very similar and they do present nearly the same with some exceptions.

First and foremost, let's take that temperature. If it's above what's normal for you (not everyone sits at 98.6) there's a good chance you might have something brewing inside. Colds may not necessarily produce a fever, but coronavirus and the flu certainly will drive your temperature up. With allergies you can see a runny nose with congestion but with Covid-19 or the cold it turns into more than that, we start seeing more shortness of breath along with a more defined cough and sore throat. while there is some possibility of a loss of taste or smell with allergies this is more standard fare for the coronavirus. a few other things to look for also include:

  • Fatigue, Muscle or body aches (both Covid-19 and the flu)
  • Headache
  • Nausea or vomiting (especially with flu)
  • Diarrhea
  • Confusion
  • Having a hard time staying awake or waking up.

this is the point where you want to get your physician involved and get tested. while there aren't cures for these, the general consensus is bed rest and fluids to get through each of them. Get more info from the CDC here, they have an excellent page on the subject.

If you want to lessen your chances... The Governor and the Texas Department of Health Services is also making the Covid-19 Vaccine available to more folks here in Amarillo starting next week.

LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.

KEEP READING: See 25 natural ways to boost your immune system

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