If You Have A Bad Runny Nose, This Could Be Why

If You Have A Bad Runny Nose, This Could Be Why

The Mayo Clinic writes that there is a lot of overlap between cold, flu, allergy, and mild COVID-19 symptoms, including a runny or stuffy nose, so it can be difficult to tell the difference. Understanding what condition you have, however, is important in treatment and prevention.

Both colds and COVID-19 can cause cough, muscle aches, fatigue, sneezing, sore throat, runny nose, fever, and loss of taste or smell. However, loss of taste and smell during colds is typically caused by a stuffy nose, whereas people with COVID-19 will usually lose taste and smell even if a stuffy nose isn’t present. Moreover, a cold does not cause diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting, as COVID-19 sometimes does.

Seasonal allergies can sometimes be mistaken for COVID-19 as well. Overlapping symptoms include cough, fatigue, sneezing, sore throat, runny nose, and loss of smell. Allergies will not cause fever, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, however. In addition, allergies may cause itchy nose, mouth, eyes, or inner ears.

Flu also has many overlapping symptoms with COVID-19 including cough, muscle aches, fatigue, sore throat, runny nose, fever, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Both may cause breathing problems or shortness of breath, but loss of taste and smell is rare with the flu.

Laboratory testing can distinguish between the flu and COVID-19. The CDCsuggests COVID-19 testing if you have symptoms, need screening for work or school, before and after travel, and five days after being exposed to someone with COVID-19.

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