As if lockdown isn’t difficult enough, this week we are facing record pollen levels for the time of year. Which is really bad news if you suffer from hay fever.
But, as well as the annoyance of sniffling, sneezing and itching, are there any additional dangers that come with having hay fever during the coronavirus pandemic?
If you suffer from seasonal allergies relating to tree or grass pollen, spring and early summer can be a nightmare. And if you have asthma too, hay fever can be a trigger for an attack.
This is worrying at the moment because we know that people with asthma are higher risk when it comes to coronavirus, and may be more susceptible to developing more severe symptoms.
However, this doesn’t mean that hay fever alone is a risk factor for coronavirus. The key thing is to avoid setting off an asthma attack, so managing your symptoms is key.
‘If you have hay fever and get COVID-19, then you could be more at risk of both setting off your asthma symptoms,’ reads the advice on the Asthma UK website.
‘So we are asking everyone with hay fever and asthma to make sure you’re taking your asthma medicines as prescribed, control your hay fever symptoms with your medicines and take steps to avoid catching or spreading COVID-19 by staying at home.’
Is it safe to take antihistamines as normal?
Dr Aragona Giuseppe, GP and medical advisor at Prescription Doctor, says it’s more important than ever for hay fever sufferers to make sure they are taking their medication to control their allergies.
‘I have seen rumours flying about this week that those who take antihistamines will be more at risk of infection of covid-19, however this should be no cause for concern,’ Dr Aragona tells Metro.co.uk.
‘You can carry on taking antihistamines without any worry that this is making you more susceptible to the virus or compromising your immune system.’
Dr Aragona does admit that while antihistamines have long been praised as an effective and safe way to control allergies, their long-term effects on the immune system are unknown. But that shouldn’t stop you from taking them if you have hay fever.
‘I would advise that if you do suffer with severe hay fever reactions to take the anti-allergy medicines, as these should help with repetitive and violent sneezing that comes with the allergies.
‘This is important because if you do carry the virus it will transmit further through the sheer power of a sneeze, meaning it could potentially infect those you come in close proximity with, or even those you think you are standing far enough away from.’
Sneezes travel further than you think, so you don’t want to be having explosive sneezing fits in public places if you can help it. Even if you are asymptomatic, you could be a carrier of coronavirus, so the more you sneeze, the more you might put others at risk.
‘If you can, sneeze into your elbow, use tissues and ensure you are washing your hands or using hand-sanitiser straight after,’ adds Dr Aragona.
How do you tell the difference between hay fever and coronavirus?
Unhelpfully, some of the symptoms of hay fever and coronavirus do overlap. Particularly the cough.
But there are enough differences to tell them apart and put your mind at ease.
‘Allergy symptoms don’t usually include a sore throat, a dry cough, achiness or a high fever which are all key symptoms of Covid-19,’ says Dr Aragona. ‘Furthermore, allergy symptoms will typically include itchiness such as itchy eyes, itchy nose and an itchy throat, which aren’t signs of coronavirus infection.’
What to do if you think you have coronavirus symptoms
If you think you may have symptoms of the virus do not go to a GP, pharmacy or hospital.
Instead you should stay at home and self-isolate for seven days – with advice on what to do given by the NHS website.
So, as annoying and unpleasant as hay fever can be – particularly when we’re all stuck in lockdown – it shouldn’t mean that you are at higher risk of developing coronavirus.
The key thing to remember is to manage your symptoms. This is a bad time to have an asthma attack, as it could leave you vulnerable to illness, and put more pressure on stretched NHS services.
So take your tablets, avoid your known allergens, and keep your sneezing fits confined to tissues.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/04/07/hayfever-make-risk-serious-coronavirus-symptoms-12522171/?ITO=squid
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