Since the World Health Organization declared Covid 19 a pandemic, there has been a lot of skepticism around the disease. The most common issue has been whether one has a common cold or suffering from the virus. Your Newport Beach sinusitis specialist is here to help you tell the difference between the two conditions. Here are some of the most common ways to tell whether you are suffering from sinusitis or the coronavirus.

What is sinusitis?

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, sinusitis is the most common condition for children and adults. It complicated up to 10% of the upper respiratory infections for toddlers and infants. The sinus is a set of four hollow spaces located at the cheekbones, behind the nasal passage, and the forehead. These are lined with the mucus membrane and align to the mouth and nose.

Blockages of a sinus cause sinusitis. When they are blocked, the membranes are unable to produce mucus as usual. In many cases, the blockages result from enlarged adenoids, abnormal nose structure, allergies, smoke, swimming, cold, and GERD. In some cases, it occurs due to upper respiratory infections, leading to inflammation of the nasal passages.

Fever

According to the CDC, one of the first ways to distinguish between coronavirus, cold, flu, and allergies is fever. Most patients with Covid 19 will show symptoms of:

• Fever
• Cough
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Shortness of breath
• Loss of taste
• Diarrhea
• Nausea and vomiting
• Body aches

While most people with a cold will check many on the symptoms list, few will have a fever. Only toddlers and infants have fever from colds. Therefore, if you experience a fever, then you may want to get tested for Covid 19.

Shortness of Breath

If you have flu-like symptoms and are also having trouble breathing, you could suffer from Covid 19. Here, shortness of breath is classified as having difficulty breathing deeply. The novel coronavirus is a respiratory disease that affects the ability of an individual to breathe. You may experience chest tightness, and you may feel winded. It will occur even if you are resting. Experts suggest that with Covid 19, the oxygen saturation drops after little exertion. It is one of the ways that doctors are distinguishing Covid 19 from other common diseases.

Relief

You may try to find relief for the symptoms, as these are all viral diseases that do not have a cure. However, allergies will often disappear in a few hours when the allergens are eliminated. Medication has not been effective in treating Covid 19, although it does relieve the cold and flu symptoms.

Conclusion

Ensure that you get tested if you are uncertain of your symptoms. It will keep you from spreading the infection to your loved ones. The novel coronavirus causes congestion and sinus issues. It is recommended that anyone with cold symptoms isolate for 14 days to rule it out.