PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A cough or a sneeze may trigger alarm bells for people worried about getting COVID-19. But for some, even in the dead of winter, allergies could be the culprit.
Allergies are usually associated with springtime pollen, but Dr. Marc Goldstein, head of The Asthma Center and chief of allergy and immunology at Pennsylvania Hospital, said all this extra time spent indoors can lead to sneezing and coughing.
“It’s not so much related to pollen in the outdoor environment that triggers symptoms, but more related to indoor exposure to dust mites and animal dander,” Goldstein said. “[They] are oftentimes the culprits of winter allergies of people living in our area.”
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There is a concern, of course, of allergy and COVID-19 symptoms overlapping. Goldstein recommends getting tested for the virus if you have symptoms that you don’t normally get this time of year.
“People who have allergies though, the symptoms typically are not associated with the sore throat or muscle aches or pains or fever” caused by the coronavirus, he noted.
If there’s itchiness, he said that points to allergies.
“Watery eyes, itching and sneezing — those things are less common features of a common cold or a COVID infection.”
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Another non-COVID-19 possibility to consider is what’s known as skier’s nose, which mimics an allergic reaction.
“It really is more of a sensory reflex related to the introduction of cold air into the nose,” he said.
Goldstein’s tip: Store your face masks in a brown paper bag or some kind of container so they don’t pick up particulates in the air, like pet dander.
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