Is it Fall allergies, or COVID-19?

We love everything about fall. Except, the allergies.

Pumpkins, cool air, falling leaves, scented candles, warm sweaters - we can’t get enough! But with it comes snifles, sneezes, eye irritation and dryness that we could seriously do without. Especially during a pandemic.

So, if your nose is runny, throat is sore and you’re panicking wondering, “Is this my allergies or could I have COVID? We can try to help. Recently, NBC reported some key differences we felt were worthwhile to share.

The NBC reporter spoke to Pam Angelillo, an allergy nurse at UConn Health. She said, “Ragweed season is pretty high right now and that will last pretty much until the end of September into October until we start to get some colder weather.” Combine this with the fact that mold-related allergies become more problematic when wet leaves to fall, and it can be quite unpleasant.

Discerning between allergies and COVID-19 can be a bit difficult, as Angelillo said, “I think it’s going to be difficult for a lot of people,” says Angelillo. “Allergies will not give you a fever.“

Though, “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some of the overlapping symptoms are a cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, headache, sore throat, and congestion or runny nose.”

Regardless of what YOU may think, though, it’s very important to note that the CDC encourages anyone who is exhibiting signs of COVID-19 to get a test to confirm a diagnosis.

To help alleviate allergy symptoms, NBC reports that, “Dr. Angelillo recommends over the counter medications, washing your linens frequently, taking a shower after any outdoor activity, and as nice as it may be to sleep with the windows open as it gets cooler at night, keep your windows shut.”

And, she advised wearing and washing your mask frequently can help keep pollen, which can exacerbate your allergies, at bay as well.

Oh, and don’t forget acupuncture!

If you test negative for COVID-19 and know you’re suffering from seasonal allergies, acupuncture can help to calm histamine reactions, restore healthy blood flow, and reduce inflammation. This can improve your allergy symptoms significantly. So call or click here to book an appointment, today!

Acupuncture as a Possible Solution for Seasonal Allergies

Despite the unseasonably warm temperatures, it’s safe to say Fall is here – and with it comes all the seasonal allergy symptoms of sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes, congestion and headaches. If you find that the beauty of the season gets hidden behind suffering from seasonal allergies, you’re not alone.

In fact, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, nasal allergies affect approximately 50 million people across the country, amounting to nearly 30 percent of adults and 40 percent of children.

If you’ve tried your fair share of pills, syrups, sprays, sinus rinses and cold packs, perhaps we can help.

A recent article originally published by TIME via CNN reported that of the participants studied in a trial published in Annals of Internal Medicine who tested positive for pollen allergies with nasal symptoms, those who received combined treatment of acupuncture and antihistamines demonstrated a greater improvement in their allergies than those who took antihistamines alone, and those who had “fake” acupuncture.

Additionally, a NPR article cited Dr. Sandra Lin, an Associate Professor of Otolaryngology (an ear, nose and throat doctor)  at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine as suggesting, “Acupuncture may help relieve symptoms and improve quality of life for people with perennial allergic rhinitis, and may help with seasonal allergies. too, according to several studies. Thus, it could be an option for people looking for non-pharmaceutical treatments.”

As far as allergies and rhinitis are concerned, within alternative medicine they are typically associated with qi within the lung, and spleen. By targeting these meridians, acupuncturists can attempt to target these meridians and help to balance the qi.

Curious to know if acupuncture could help relieve some of your allergy woes? You won’t know until you try – and it can’t hurt (literally) to pay us a visit!