Dealing with Allergies in the Time of the Coronavirus

It’s quite unfortunate that allergy season is already in full swing at the same time as Covid-19 continues to take lives.  Many people who experience allergies at this time of the year may be more anxious about their symptoms for this reason.

Are you one of them or you know somebody in these shoes? Your anxiety is justified, in a way, because allergies can have an impact on the overall health of your respiratory system. You may even be at greater risk of getting the coronavirus because your respiratory system is more fragile.

But before you succumb to panic, here are a few things that you should know to keep your wits about you.

Keep Your Lungs Healthy From the Start

If you have had allergy attacks at this time of the year before, then you will likely still get them in 2020. You should then start taking precautionary measures now so that your lungs will be remain healthy. You can talk to your ENT doctor about starting early on your medications, perhaps changing them to account for the new threat.

The earlier you start on your anti-allergy medications, the less likely you will experience the symptoms. Your body’s immune system isn’t sent into overdrive fighting the inflammation caused by allergens and, thus, it has less mucus production. The common medications include nasal steroids and antihistamines, which are prescribed as a way to control the symptoms of an allergy attack.

Of course, you should minimize your exposure to the allergens that trigger your symptoms. Since this is the time of Covid-19, you have to adopt the preventive measures recommended by WHO and other medical experts. These include practicing good hygiene including washing your hands frequently and social distancing.

Keep Calm and Carry On

Unless you have been exposed to people carrying the coronavirus or people diagnosed with Covid-19, you have to keep calm if your allergy symptoms seem to have returned. You may or may not have the coronavirus but it’s important to keep calm, seek testing and medical treatment, if needed, and protect others.

There are also cases when an allergy attack happens for the first time in adults. Again, don’t panic as it’s actually common for adults who have never experienced allergies to have them in later life. The adult-onset allergies may likely be due to higher levels of pollution and declining immune system function.

The bottom line: There may be no effective vaccine and treatments yet for Covid-19 but there are treatments that will address your allergies. Get control on what you can and let the medical experts find the solution to the current pandemic.

For details of the ENT services, diagnosis, and treatment, please consult our ENT doctor.

Source:

HK ENT Specialist Ltd.

Hong Kong based ENT clinic centre

For ENT Services, Audiology & Speech Therapy,

Sleep Disordered Breathing Management,

Hearing Aid Prescription & Medical Cosmetic Services

https://www.hkentspecialist.hk