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Ahhhhh Choo!!! Remember the good old days when we weren’t worried that every sniffle and cough was the plague?

Here we are, knee deep in allergy season again, and reports are this will be an intense one.

As we sat at the breakfast table this morning wiping watery eyes and drippy noses, we reminisced about not going into panic mode every time we got a headache or runny nose.

My husband and I were tested many years ago, and both of us have pollen, mold and wood ash allergies.

Mine are fairly easily controlled with over-the-counter meds. Ed, however, has quite severe allergies that he was taking shots for until he had a heart attack 21 years ago and because of beta blockers, was no longer able to take the shots.

He suffers terribly; we are used to it. I give him what few meds he can safely take and we just get through it.

You should speak with your physician and get advised as to what your best course of treatment is.

For more detailed information, I recommend this website, aafa.org/allergy-symptoms. It is the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America.

Let’s look at the differences in symptoms. Common signs of allergies include: sneezing, runny nose, dry tickly cough, itchy or watery eyes, itchy ears, congestion and excess mucus draining into the stomach that can also cause some digestive upsets.

Signs of COVID-19 include: fever or chills, dry cough, trouble breathing, body or muscle aches, sore throat, fatigue, headache, loss of taste or smell, congestion or runny nose, gastrointestinal problems like nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, pinkeye and skin rash.

If you have any of these, especially a fever, call your doctor. If you get allergies every year, watch for symptoms that are different from what you’ve had before.

Severe allergies can make you can feel tightness in your chest and shortness of breath, especially if you have asthma, too. But these can also be serious symptoms of COVID-19.

If you aren’t sure or if you haven’t been diagnosed with asthma, call your doctor right away. Be watchful, but don’t panic.

Stay healthy my friends.

Jody Holton writes about health for Port Arthur Newsmedia. She can be reached at jholton3@gt.rr.com.