Respiratory Season: The Basics
Welcome to Remedy Internal Medicine and our first blog post. We are grateful you have put your trust in us for your health care needs. No question or concern is too small, so do not hesitate to give us a call or text. We love hearing from you.
How do you know if your runny nose is related to allergies or COVID19? Fall and winter tend to be a time when upper respiratory infections are most prevalent. This might include the more typical respiratory viruses (adenoviruses, rhinovirus, parainfluenza viruses to name of few), or the more problematic influenza or COVID19, which is still at elevated transmission levels in our community. Seasonal allergies can also flare during this time of year. There are a few details that help us differentiate between respiratory infections, but often testing is the best way to rule out the more worrisome infections (influenza and COVID19). When you first get that tickle in your throat, here are a few considerations to help you figure out the best next steps. Allergies tend to present with runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes and improve with oral antihistamines such as cetirizine (Zyrtec) and nasal steroids (such as over the counter Flonase). Several of the common respiratory viruses start out with runny nose and sore throat and can progress to nasal congestion and dry cough. Many patients describe influenza as acute onset body aches, fatigue, and fever (greater than 100°F) with associated cough and sore throat. COVID19 may have a range of symptoms, but cough, fever, body aches, and headaches are the most common. Loss of smell or taste is not always present with COVID 19, but more unique to COVID19 compared with other viral infections. As you can tell, a lot of these symptoms overlap and can be difficult to distinguish. If you are unsure what might be causing your symptoms, we are always happy to talk with you on the phone and can help you get the testing you might need. At Remedy Internal Medicine, we do have options for rapid testing for COVID19 and influenza A/B as well as send out PCR testing, which can be more sensitive and specific than rapid testing. We are also happy to walk you through over-the-counter treatment options, since cold medicines can have a confusing mix of several different activities ingredients. We particularly like talking with you about these over-the-counter medications if you have hypertension (high blood pressure) or other cardiac conditions as certain medications such as decongestants (phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine) can worsen those conditions. Definitely focus on getting as much rest as possible and giving your body time to heal. Stay hydrated and please do contact us if you have any concerns that your respiratory infection is getting more severe.
