How To Treat An Allergy Cough
Oral antihistamines are the first-line treatment for allergy symptoms, blocking the underlying mechanisms that can lead to an allergy cough.
Second-generation antihistamines are the preferred option because they are less likely to cause drowsiness. With that said, first-generation antihistamines like Benadryl may be a good option before bedtime if allergy symptoms are interfering with sleep.
To treat the cough itself, you can consider the following options:
- Take an over-the-counter expectorant like Mucinex to loosen phlegm.
- Use an over-the-counter decongestant Sudafed to open nasal passages.
- Use a nasal steroid spray like Nasacort to relieve inflammation and ease breathing,
- Suck on a cough lozenge, especially ones containing eucalyptus.
- Use a saline nasal spray or irrigation, like a neti pot, to clear nasal passages.
- Use a humidifier or vaporizer to help moisturize the air.
- Inhale steam either with a commercial inhaler or a heated pot of water to loosen mucus and ease throat irritation.
Complications Of Allergic Rhinitis
If you have allergic rhinitis, there’s a risk you could develop further problems.
A blocked or runny nose can result in difficulty sleeping, drowsiness during the daytime, irritability and problems concentrating. Allergic rhinitis can also make symptoms of asthma worse.
The inflammation associated with allergic rhinitis can also sometimes lead to other conditions, such as nasal polyps, sinusitis and middle ear infections. These are described below.
When Mucus In Throat Can Become A Serious Issue
The color of your mucus in throat is a strong indicator of how severe the health problem is. Generally, thin and clear is the safest, and other colors could indicate a particular infection. Here are some guidelines to know when mucus in throat is a serious issue.
Thin and clear: Sign of cold or allergies, it could also be a sign of medication side effect or a reaction to certain food.
Thick and colored: If mucus is very thick, it could be a sign of dryness, which can be caused by heating systems. If mucus appears green, yellow, or brownish, it could indicate a bacterial infection.
Rattling sound in chest: If mucus is dripping down to your chest, it may be difficult to swallow and may cause a rattling sound, which may be pointing to pneumonia.
Burning sensation: If mucus is burning, it could be a result of a heartburn or GERD. Paying attention to your mucus can help offer insights into your overall health and give you indications on how to treat the mucus.
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When To See A Doctor
Many believe that colored mucus coming from the nose indicates a bacterial infection. However, it may show that the immune system is fighting a virus or that a person is merely dehydrated.
A runny nose or feeling of stuffiness may also indicate allergies or a sinus infection. Individuals experiencing ongoing allergies or infections should visit a doctor. Severe allergies can require professional attention, and sinus infections may call for antibiotic treatment.
Individuals should also seek medical attention if they experience:
- a cough lasting more than 10 days
- nasal discharge that smells unpleasant
- blurred vision with a stuffy nose
- yellow or white spots on the back of the throat
How To Deal With That Nagging Cough
If youre dealing with a nagging cough that is lingering for days, weeks or months, youre not alone.
Coughing is one of the most frequent reasons patients see doctors, and it ranks in the top five reasons patients come to see us at the Ear, Nose and Throat and Allergy Clinic, said Christine Franzese, MD, an allergist with University of Missouri Health Care.
Coughing is part of the bodys defense against disease. It pushes out bacteria, mucus and foreign particles from the respiratory tract to protect the lungs from infection and inflammation. While coughing has a purpose, it can also cause its share of problems.
It can disrupt your sleep, affect school and work performance, it can even prevent people from being socially active or going places because they are so self-conscious, Franzese said.
A physician can diagnose the cause of the cough and identify the proper treatment. There are many reasons for lasting coughs. The most common causes for nonsmokers are postnasal drip, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease , chronic bronchitis and use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors for high blood pressure. Smoking is the primary cause of chronic coughing that can lead to more serious health problems, such as bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia and lung cancer.
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How Long Does Post
It really depends on whats causing it, Dr. Scangas says.The best way to make it go away is to try and differentiate which underlying causes are at the root of the problem, and then either treating the acid reflux, chronic sinusitis, or allergic rhinitis, he says.
While the timeline can vary, if your post-nasal drip is caused by allergieswhich it often isit can lastas long as the ongoing exposure to pollen is present, says Aaron Clark, D.O., a family medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. For colds, youre usually looking at anywhere from seven to 10 days, he says.
Q: My teenage son has allergies and asthma. He is constantly clearing his throat. Why is this? How can he clear out the mucus?
Many people with asthma have allergies, so treating the nose for allergic rhinitis is just as important as treating the lungs.
The nose and lungs are at opposite ends of the respiratory tract. The mucus that youre describing is coming from his nose and/or sinuses and dripping down his throat, causing him to constantly clear it.
We treat allergic rhinitis and asthma similarly. The first line of treatment is to identify the relevant triggers and avoid whatever is practical to avoid. A board-certified allergist can help you with this.
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What Causes Mucus Overproduction
Your body can go into overdrive creating mucus when you:
- Have allergies.
- Are exposed to smoke or pollution.
Environmental allergies can cause excess mucus or phlegm, as can food allergies, but the latter is harder to diagnose based on this symptom alone, Dr. Bryson explains.
If youre healthy, your mucus tends to be thin and you may not even notice it. But if youre sick, your mucus can become thick and crusty.
And you may not notice phlegm until you cough it up, which can be a symptom of pneumonia or bronchitis.
You may be concerned about the color of your mucus and phlegm, too, whether its yellow or green. But the color doesnt necessarily mean you have an infection.
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Symptoms Of Hay Fever
Growing seasons cause plants to bloom and molds to multiply, so youll usually experience your symptoms at the same time every year. The timing can help you confirm that your symptoms are due to hay fever and not a viral infection.
Symptoms associated with hay fever include:
Year-round triggers for hay fever include:
- pet dander, such as from cats, dogs, or birds
- spores from fungi and molds that grow indoors
These allergens set off a chain reaction after they get into your system. A hay fever cough is an aftereffect of postnasal drip.
Postnasal drip occurs when allergens irritate the lining of your nose. This triggers your nasal passages to produce mucus, a sticky substance thats supposed to remove harmful or dirty particles from the air. Mucus associated with allergens tends to be more watery than the mucus your body produces when you arent sick or experiencing allergies. This watery mucus drips out of your nose and down your throat. This tickles the throat and leads to a hay fever cough.
This cough usually comes with a constant tickling feeling in the throat. If youre exposed to your allergen when youre outdoors, your coughing will most likely be more frequent in the daytime.
However, your cough will generally be worse at night. This effect is largely due to gravity. During the day, you stand and sit up more than at night. Mucus cant drain as easily at night when youre lying down.
Does Coffee Cause Osteoporosis
Caffeine may affect the way the body absorbs calcium, and this has raised concerns that drinking coffee can lead to osteoporosis.
However, this has not been confirmed by research.
A Swedish study of data for over 60,000 women found that: High coffee consumption was associated with a small reduction in bone density that did not translate into an increased risk of fracture.
Women with a good intake of calcium through their diet are unlikely to be at risk of osteoporosis as a result of drinking coffee.
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Can Throat Clearing Be Caused By Gerd
Yes, excessive throat clearing can be a symptom of GERD. Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a condition where acid and food particles from the stomach re-enter the esophagus. Although GERD is usually associated with heartburn, for some people, other symptoms due to irritation of the larynx are more prominent. Laryngeal symptoms include throat clearing, hoarseness, and coughing.
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Does Vitamin C Reduce Mucus
mucus! Aha! Yes, it is no surprise that Vitamin C, at high doses, has a drying effect on cervical fluid too! In fact there is a specific Vitamin C protocol for those who have continuous cervical fluid to help eliminate some of the extra mucus so the pattern of fertility/infertility can be observed more easily.
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Bacterial And Viral Infections
Infections such as the flu, acute bronchitis, and pneumonia can cause your airways to make extra mucus, which youll often cough up. It may be green or yellow in color.
The new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 doesnt usually cause mucus in the chest. But complications from the virus can include pneumonia, which does involve chest congestion.
What Causes Postnasal Drip
- Certain medications, including some for birth control and blood pressure
- Deviated septum, which is the crooked placement of the wall that separates the two nostrils, or some other problem with the structure of the nose that affects the sinuses
- Changing weather, cold temperatures, or really dry air
- Fumes from chemicals, perfumes, cleaning products, smoke, or other irritants
Sometimes the problem is not that you’re producing too much mucus, but that it’s not being cleared away. Swallowing problems can cause a buildup of liquids in the throat, which can feel like postnasal drip. These problems can sometimes occur with age, a blockage, or conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, also known as GERD.
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Why Does My Doctor Give Me Antibiotics For Green Mucus
Good question! If most sinus infections are viral, and viral infections will not improve with antibiotics, it makes little sense to treat every episode of thick, green mucus with antibiotics. Yet some patients request it and many doctors continue to prescribe them. Its likely that the improvement that follows antibiotic treatment would have happened even without antibiotics yet that sequence of events tends to perpetuate the idea that antibiotics are necessary.
There are times when antibiotics should be considered. For example, antibiotics might be worth considering when
- the infection drags on for more than 10 days, or if it gets worse after a week
- the discharge is thick and uniformly white
- there is a high fever that isnt improving
- there are severe symptoms that do not respond to the usual over-the-counter sinus and cold remedies.
Each case is different. So, talk to your doctor if your sinus symptoms have you thinking you may need antibiotics.
Does Flonase Help Post
Nasal steroid sprays are effective at treating postnasal drip because they reduce the amount of mucus that causes coughing, sinus pressure, and sore throats. Flonase and Rhinocort are examples of nasal sprays that are used to treat allergic rhinitis, which is a recurring postnasal drip due to allergies.
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How I Cured My Silent Reflux
Diet drinking plenty of fluids, including water and herbal teas. avoiding fried and fatty foods, chocolate, alcohol, and caffeine. avoid foods that increase acidity, such as tomatoes, citrus fruits, and sodas. eating smaller meals more often, and chewing well. not eating within 2 hours of going to bed.
Cleaning Your Nasal Passages
Regularly cleaning your nasal passages with a salt water solution known as nasal douching or irrigation can also help by keeping your nose free of irritants.
You can do this either by using a homemade solution or a solution made with sachets of ingredients bought from a pharmacy.
Small syringes or pots that often look like small horns or teapots are also available to help flush the solution around the inside of your nose.
To make the solution at home, mix half a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda into a pint of boiled water that’s been left to cool to around body temperature do not attempt to rinse your nose while the water is still hot.
To rinse your nose:
- stand over a sink, cup the palm of one hand and pour a small amount of the solution into it
- sniff the water into one nostril at a time
- repeat this until your nose feels comfortable you may not need to use all of the solution
While you do this, some solution may pass into your throat through the back of your nose. The solution is harmless if swallowed, but try to spit out as much of it as possible.
Nasal irrigation can be carried out as often as necessary, but a fresh solution should be made each time.
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Identifying An Asthma Cough
The purpose of a cough is to remove foreign particles and bacteria to prevent a possible infection. There are two types of coughs: productive and nonproductive. When a cough is productive, it means that a noticeable amount of phlegm expelled. This enables the lungs to get rid of harmful substances.
Coughing in people with asthma can be helpful because its one of the bodys natural defense mechanisms. A productive asthmatic cough will expel phlegm and mucus from the lungs. In most cases of asthma, the cough is considered nonproductive. A nonproductive cough is a dry cough. Its a response to an irritant that forces the bronchial tubes to spasm . Swelling and constriction of the airways, which prompts this type of nonproductive cough, characterize asthma.
An asthma cough is also often accompanied by wheezing. This is a high-pitched whistling sound caused by a constricted airway.
When To See A Gp
Speak to a GP if your catarrh persists and is becoming difficult to live with.
They may want to rule out conditions that could be causing it, such as nasal polyps or allergies.
This may mean you need to be referred to a specialist for tests.
If you’re diagnosed with a specific underlying condition, treating it may help relieve your catarrh.
For example, nasal polyps may be treated with a steroid nasal spray, or in some cases surgery.
If a cause for your catarrh cannot be found, the self-help techniques above may be recommended.
Unfortunately, however, chronic catarrh can be hard to treat and may last for a long time.
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How Can I Treat Allergy Symptoms
The most foolproof way to keep allergy symptoms under control is to avoid exposure to the allergens that cause your symptoms.
However, thats not always practical. For example, individuals who are allergic to the pollen of ragweed, a common plant, are unlikely to be able to avoid going outdoors for the entire flowering season.
On that note, they may be able to limit their time outdoors by bringing their workouts inside, hiring someone to mow the grass, and avoiding outdoor events whenever possible.
People who suffer from allergy symptoms associated with indoor mold may not be able to move to a new house or work in a different office building.
In these cases, medications can be used to treat allergy symptoms.
There are three common types of medications that are used to treat allergy symptoms: antihistamines, decongestants, and corticosteroids.
Antihistamines, decongestants, and corticosteroids are all available both over the counter and as prescription medications.
If you find that you experience allergy symptoms on a regular basis, either seasonally or year-round, talk to your doctor about what medications they recommend to help control your symptoms.
Treatments For Mild Cases
People with severe mucus buildup may need to visit a doctor for a prescription. However, for more mild cases, there are several OTC options.
Mucinex offers a number of products that help fight mucus. Its 12-hour expectorant features extended-release guaifenesin tablets for long-acting mucus relief.
Likewise, Robitussin offers an extra-strength syrup to treat phlegm and mucus. This syrup provides 6 hours of relief from mucus, congestion, and throat irritation.
In addition to guaifenesin, these tablets contain acetaminophen and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride for fever reduction and decongestion.
All of the medications above are available to purchase at local pharmacies.
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When To Seek Medical Help
Postnasal drip can be annoying, but it usually isn’t dangerous, as Harvard Medical School explains. However, there are some circumstances when you should seek medical help. See your doctor or dentist if your symptoms get worse or if they aren’t relieved by home remedies. You should also see your doctor if your sore throat is accompanied by other worrying symptoms, such as an unexplained fever or bloody mucus.
Allergy season has arrived, and while you may experience a sore throat from allergies, rest assured that there are many home remedies that can help to soothe your symptoms. If these home remedies aren’t enough, don’t hesitate to seek medical advice.
