Can Allergies Cause Fevers? What Your Symptoms Might Be Telling You

If you’re sniffing, sneezing, and feeling unwell, your first thought might be seasonal allergies. But if you reach for your thermometer and discover a fever, it’s time to reconsider. So, can allergies cause a fever?

The answer is no; allergies don’t cause fevers. A fever is your immune system’s response to a virus or bacteria. It raises your body temperature to create a less hospitable environment for these germs — essentially turning up the heat to fight off an infection.

Allergies, on the other hand, are your immune system overreacting to a harmless intruder, like pollen, dust, or pet dander. After releasing histamine, this causes the familiar inflammation in your nose, throat, and eyes, resulting in a runny nose, itchy eyes, and sneezing. But it doesn’t trigger a fever.

If you have allergy-like symptoms accompanied by a fever, it’s a strong sign that you’re dealing with more than just allergies, such as a sinus infection, cold, or the flu, which may require medical attention.

Environmental Causes of Allergies

Allergy symptoms are triggered by your immune system reacting to typically harmless environmental substances. Common culprits include:

• Pollen from trees (spring allergies), grass (summer allergies), and ragweed (fall allergies)
• Dust mites and their waste
• Pet dander from cats, dogs, and other animals
• Mold spores, both indoors and outdoors
• Insect stings or bites

These allergens are not infections. Therefore, your body doesn’t generate a fever in response. A fever alongside these symptoms points toward a separate, coinciding illness.

Allergy vs. Sickness Symptoms

How can you tell the difference between seasonal allergies and a cold (or another illness)? The key is to understand the difference between symptoms to help you decide on the best course of action for treatment and relief.

Common Allergy Symptoms

• Runny nose: Clear, watery discharge
• Sneezing: Often occurs in bursts
• Itching: Itchy eyes, nose, throat, or skin
• Duration: Often lasts for weeks or months during a specific season
• Fever: Not present

If it’s allergies, the key identifiers are itching, seasonal symptoms, and the complete absence of a fever.

Cold Symptoms

• Runny nose: Can start clear and become thicker, discolored mucus.
• Sneezing and coughing: Often a wet cough.
• Sore throat: Common at the beginning of the illness.
• Fever: Rare. If present, it is usually low-grade.

If it’s the common cold, expect a gradual onset with a cough and maybe a low-grade fever.

Flu Symptoms

• Runny nose and cough: Often present with a dry, hacking cough
• Body aches: Muscle aches and fatigue are prominent.
• Fever: Common. High fever is a hallmark symptom.
• Onset: Symptoms tend to come on suddenly.

When is it the flu? The sudden onset of a high fever and severe body aches is what sets it apart from the common cold or allergies.

COVID-19 Symptoms

• Runny nose and cough: Often a dry cough.
• Sore throat and headache: Common.
• Fever: Common. Can be high.
• Loss of taste or smell: A unique symptom that distinguishes it from the others.
• Duration: Can be highly variable, from a few days to weeks.

COVID-19 can overlap with the cold or flu. The sudden loss of taste or smell is the primary differentiator, as well as respiratory symptoms.

Things To Consider

Can you get a fever from allergies? No. But it is possible to have allergies and an infection at the same time. In fact, the inflammation caused by allergies can make you more susceptible to sinus infections or other secondary illnesses. It can be frustrating trying to determine if you’re battling allergies or a cold, as their initial symptoms often overlap.

Be sure to monitor all your symptoms. The appearance of symptoms like fever or body aches when you normally just have allergies is an indicator that an infection may be developing, and it’s time to consider seeking care.

Managing Your Allergy Symptoms

For allergy relief, a multi-pronged approach is often most effective. Check local pollen counts and keep windows closed on high-pollen days. Consider installing a HEPA filter to remove particles from the air and control indoor allergens.

Over-the-counter medications like antihistamines, decongestants, and nasal corticosteroid sprays can provide significant relief. A saline rinse or neti pot can flush out irritants and thin mucus. Make sure you keep drinking water to keep your nasal passages moist.

Know when to seek help. If your symptoms are severe, interfere with daily life, don’t improve with over-the-counter treatments, or — most importantly — are accompanied by a fever, it’s time to consult a healthcare provider for proper diagnosis and a treatment plan. Visit Next Level Urgent Care for quick, affordable care to get to the root of your symptoms and get you back to feeling your best.