Dare we mention Hayfever?!?

 

 

So, we thought it was a good time to quickly remind you about a post we did a while ago about Hayfever. It can be found here. 

 

However, this year, we’ve noticed a new concern about Hayfever starting to appear. One we haven’t come across before, but is completely understandable with all the concern about Coronavirus. And this is people asking how will they know whether it’s Hayfever or something else? Particularly those who’ve never had Hayfever before, but are worried their symptoms may be a sign of something much worse… 

 

Well the simple answer is that, if you’ve had Hayfever before, you’ll know exactly what to expect. What your particular symptoms are. Which pollens trigger them. The time of year you’re most likely to be affected. And, if the latter sounds a strange thing to say, it’s because different plants – and trees – flower and release their pollen at different times during the spring and summer. So, when someone’s symptoms are worse – as well as when they start and stop – will give an easy indication of what their particular triggers are. Of course, there are variations in this, but it’s a useful rule of thumb. 

 

Which leads us on to those who are concerned that their symptoms may be confused for something else. In other words, a Cold, Flu or – dare we say it – Coronavirus? Well, while these all target the Respiratory System, they’re all quite different in terms of both their symptoms AND severity. So, as always, it’s about knowing what to look out for. 

 

The good news is that we’ve come across a very useful comparison in this regard. It looks at the key symptoms of Coronavirus, Colds, Flu and Allergies – in other words, Hayfever – and comes courtesy of a presentation made by Gregg Braden on 19th March 2020. You can find it here. We highly recommend watching the whole presentation – it’s only about 50 minutes long – for a different perspective on Coronavirus. However, if you just want to look at the comparison, it’s at about 20 minutes 40 seconds. 

 

For those who haven’t heard of Gregg before, he’s a five-time New York Times best-selling author, scientist, international educator and renowned as a pioneer in the emerging paradigm based in science, spirituality, social policy and human potential. Unlike many others, he has backgrounds in both science and spirituality, giving him a rounded perspective on matters. While he isn’t a medical Doctor – and so the information he gives cannot be considered medical advice or diagnosis – it does provide some very useful information. However, as always, if you are concerned please do seek further advice / assistance from NHS Direct. 

 

So, after that caveat, here’s his comparison - with apologies that the very nice table format it was originally in just hasn't transferred to the blog, despite all our best efforts! So, instead, we've highlighted the major symptoms for each one so you can easily see the differences between them: 

 

Headaches - sometimes 

Aches and pains - sometimes 

Sore throat - sometimes 

Fatigue - sometimes 

Diarrhoea - rare 

Runny nose - rare 

Sneezing - no 

 

Fever - rare 

Dry Cough - mild 

Shortness of breath - no 

Headaches - rare 

Fatigue - sometimes 

Diarrhoea - no 

 

It's quickly obvious just how different Coronavirus is from a Common Cold. 

 

Diarrhoea - sometimes* 

Runny nose - sometimes 

Sneezing - no 

 

* sometimes in children. 

 

Again, it's easy to see how Coronavirus is very different to Flu. 

 

Fever - sometimes 

Dry Cough - sometimes 

Headaches - sometimes 

Aches and pains - no 

Sore throat - no 

Fatigue - sometimes 

Diarrhoea - no 

 

And, yet again, Coronavirus is very different to Allergies / Hayfever. 

 

To avoid any doubt - and as NHS Direct emphasises - the two symptoms to look out for with Coronavirus are a high temperature – a Fever – AND a new continuous dry Cough, which both tend to come on quickly rather than over a period of time. 

 

We trust this helps put your mind at rest and, once again, would remind you about our old friend, susceptibility - which all comes down to your own particular circumstances and the simple things you do every day. If you need a reminder about it, click here. 

 

As always, the choice is yours.