Medical Monday

It's Medical Monday at Aortic Hope.
๐คMany people may wonder how to tell the difference between ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ถ๐ฒ๐, ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐ฑ, ๐ฎ ๐ณ๐น๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฑ, especially since they share some common symptoms. Here are some tips to help you distinguish them:
- ๐๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ถ๐ฒ๐ are caused by your immune system reacting to a substance that is usually harmless, such as pollen, dust or pet dander. They tend to affect the nose and eyes, causing sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, itchy or watery eyes, and sometimes a sore throat or cough. Allergies ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ป๐ผ๐ cause a fever or body aches, and they usually last as long as you are exposed to the allergen. Allergies can also be triggered by certain foods or medications.
- A ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐ฑ is a viral infection that affects the upper respiratory tract, including the nose, throat and sinuses. It can cause sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, cough, headache and mild fatigue. A cold usually does not cause a fever, unless it is complicated by a bacterial infection. A cold usually lasts for a few days to a week, and ๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ for the first three days. There is no cure for a cold, but you can treat the symptoms with rest, fluids and over-the-counter medicines.
- A ๐ณ๐น๐ is also a viral infection that affects the respiratory system, but it is more severe than a cold. It can cause fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, cough, sore throat and sometimes nausea or vomiting. A flu usually lasts for a week to 10 days, but it can take longer to recover from its complications. A flu is ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐น๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ผ๐๐
for the first three to four days. The best way to prevent a flu is to get vaccinated every year. You can also treat the symptoms with antiviral drugs if prescribed by your doctor within 48 hours of onset.
- ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐๐-๐ญ๐ต is a new disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. It can affect different parts of the body, but mainly the lungs. It can cause fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, headache, muscle or body aches, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting and diarrhea. COVID-19 can range from mild to severe or even fatal. ๐ฆ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ ๐๐๐บ๐ฝ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐. COVID-19 symptoms usually appear 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus. The only way to confirm if you have COVID-19 is to get tested. There are some treatments available for COVID-19 depending on the severity of your condition. You can also prevent COVID-19 by getting vaccinated and following public health guidelines such as wearing a mask, social distancing and washing your hands frequently.
๐คงBe mindful of the OTC (over-the-counter) medications you use to help alleviate symptoms as many can cause an increase in blood pressure and/or heart rate.
๐Talk with your clinicians if you become ill or suffer from allergies for the appropriate relief.
(*๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐)
: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/covid-19-cold-flu-and-allergies-differences/art-20503981
: https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2022/01/it-flu-covid-19-allergies-or-cold
: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/11/health/coronavirus-cold-allergies-flu-difference-symptoms-wellness-trnd/index.html
: https://www.businessinsider.com/difference-between-covid-19-delta-symptoms-cold-flu-allergies-2021-7