Can You Get a Fever From Allergies?

Allergies come with a multitude of symptoms, but fever isn’t one of them. With that being said, there are certain issues that are caused by allergies that can lead to a fever, like sinus infections. There are also conditions with fever as a symptom that might feel like allergies, such as a cold or flu.

If you’re suffering from allergies, you likely don’t have to worry about a fever, but that doesn’t mean your other symptoms aren’t worth treating. Wyndly can help. Schedule your allergy consultation with Wyndly to see how you can treat your allergy symptoms, or read on to learn more about the relationship between fever and allergies.

Common Allergy Symptoms

There are many common allergy symptoms, but you don’t find fever on the list. Here are some of the symptoms of allergies you may experience:

• Sneezing
• Stuffy nose
• Runny nose
• Congestion
• Coughing
• Wheezing
• Itchy or watery eyes
• Red eyes
• Skin rash
• Hives
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Aggravated asthma symptoms

Allergy symptoms will usually be at their worst during allergy season. Knowing what you’re allergic to will help you determine if you’re dealing with a cold, flu, or allergies. For instance, if you know you’re only allergic to grass pollen, then it’s unlikely you’d have allergies in winter.

What Is Hay Fever?

Hay fever is the name to describe the reaction to airborne allergens like pollen. When your immune system mistakes these airborne allergens for a threat, your body responds with histamine and antibodies. This reaction brings on allergy symptoms as your immune system tries to fight off the perceived invader.

Of course, these airborne substances are often harmless, and not everyone will have a reaction to them.

How Is It Different From a Cold and the Flu?

Allergies can sometimes be confused for a cold or the flu. However, there are several differences between these conditions. As we mentioned, an easy way to tell that it isn’t allergies is if you have a fever. Fevers aren’t allergy symptoms, so it’s more likely you have the flu or an infection. Sinus infections can be caused by allergies, but the allergy itself isn’t what brings on the fever.

Another easy way to tell the difference between allergies and colds or flu is how long your condition persists. If you have allergies, symptoms can last for months or even year-round, depending on what you’re allergic to. Colds and flu, on the other hand, will usually subside after one to two weeks. Conversely, allergy symptoms can subside much faster than a cold or flu if you find a way to avoid exposure to your allergen.

Finally, if one of your symptoms is itchy or watery eyes, it’s usually safe to assume that allergies are the cause. Fever and cold symptoms don’t include itchy or watery eyes.

To further differentiate these conditions, let’s take a look at the common symptoms for each.

Common flu symptoms

First, let’s take a look at the symptoms of the flu. The flu affects your respiratory system and will usually bring on a fever that lasts for several days. If you have a fever, you can likely rule out allergies as the culprit.

Here are some other common flu symptoms:

• Runny or stuffy nose
• Cough
• Headache
• Body aches and pains
• Congestion in the chest
• Sore throat

As you can see, there are a few symptoms that the flu and allergies have in common, but usually, there is a noticeable difference between the two. Let’s look at symptoms of the common cold next.

Common cold symptoms

A common cold is a viral infection that causes you to feel ill. Unlike the flu, fevers aren’t usually attributed to the common cold, but they can happen. You may also experience chills.

Here are some of the other common symptoms you may experience if you have a cold:

• Headaches
• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Sore throat
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Body aches

A common cold can be more difficult to differentiate from allergies, but keep in mind that cold symptoms don’t go away if you remove an allergen substance, and a cold will usually subside in one or two weeks, whereas allergies can persist as long as the allergen is present. Body aches and chills are also rare symptoms of allergies, which further helps to distinguish these two conditions.

It may also be useful to touch on the symptoms of sinusitis. Sinusitis can be brought on after an infection and can sometimes feel like allergies. However, there are symptoms that can help you identify your condition as sinusitis instead of allergies.

Common sinusitis symptoms

Here are some symptoms you might expect to experience with sinusitis:

• Postnasal drip
• Yellow or green nasal discharge
• Pain in the forehead
• Cheek pain
• Cough
• Toothache

Several of these symptoms are very rare for allergies. However, inflammation and swelling of the sinuses can be caused by allergies, which makes it easy to get these two conditions confused. It’s also possible to have allergies in conjunction with any of these conditions. That’s why it’s best to get a diagnosis to find out for sure.

How to Get Diagnosed

If you’re unsure what is causing your symptoms, you may want to consult a doctor. They can help you identify if you have the flu, a cold, sinusitis, or allergies. Often they can do this with a physical exam and by asking you questions about your symptoms. Occasionally, further testing might be necessary. These tests could include blood tests, throat swabs, mucus samples, and blood and urine tests. A doctor may be able to identify that you have allergies, but you’ll need to get an allergy test to find out what you’re allergic to.

There are several options for allergy testing. Let’s take a look at these.

Skin Prick Test

One common option for allergy testing is a skin prick test. With this test, you make an appointment with an allergist and go to their office. They’ll then conduct the test using a needle that will be tipped in various different allergen substances. This needle is lightly scratched against the skin to induce a reaction. If your skin becomes red, raised, or itchy, then the substance that was used on that area is marked as a potential allergen. Though skin prick tests work, they can be very uncomfortable, and they require a visit to the doctor. There are more convenient options that are less painful.

Blood Test

Allergies can also be identified through a blood test. These allergy blood tests identify the allergen-specific antibodies in your blood to determine your allergy profile. Just like skin prick testing, these require you to make an appointment with an allergist and go to their office. Also, a blood test will use a needle to draw the sample, which can be uncomfortable for many. This brings us to our last option.

At-Home Testing

If you want an allergy test that is convenient and painless, your best option is an at-home test. Wyndly can send you an at-home test right to your door. From there, all you have to do is follow the instructions in the test and do a simple finger prick to provide a sample. Then you send your test back, and our lab will run your sample to find out your primary allergens. This method doesn’t require you to spend time at the doctor and make an appointment, and it doesn’t require an uncomfortable or painful skin prick test or blood draw.

Treatment Options

The treatment for allergies, the flu, and the common cold differ.

For the flu and the common cold, treatment options can include:

• Getting plenty of rest
• Drinking lots of fluids
• Using over-the-counter decongestants
• Taking over-the-counter pain relief medication
• Using over-the-counter cold and flu medication
• Drinking warm tea for sore throat

If allergies are the source of your symptoms, there are a few options for you.

Limit exposure

Limiting your exposure to allergens can help manage your symptoms. Doing things like staying inside when the pollen count is high, wearing a face mask and sunglasses outside, keeping your home very clean, doing laundry often, rinsing pollen off in the shower, and using a HEPA filter on your air system can all help cut down on your allergen exposure.

Over-the-counter medications

There are several over-the-counter allergy medications that may help you manage symptoms, such as antihistamines, nasal corticosteroids, eye drops, and decongestants.

Immunotherapy

If you want to treat your allergies, immunotherapy is an effective solution. Immunotherapy introduces small, gradually increasing doses of an allergen to your immune system. This retrains your system to ignore these harmless substances. Immunotherapy can be administered with allergy shots or with sublingual immunotherapy, which are drops or tablets administered under the tongue.

Get Personalized Care for Your Allergies With Wyndly

If you’re wanting to find lifelong relief from your allergy symptoms, choose Wyndly. Wyndly offers personalized care for allergies by providing a treatment plan designed for your specific allergy profile. If you’re a candidate for sublingual immunotherapy, Wyndly can send doses right to your door.

Take our 2-minute online assessment now to get started on your journey to an allergy-free life!