Do Allergies Give You A Sore Throat

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If you arent sure if its a cold or allergies, or if your symptoms are severe or long-lasting, its best to connect with a care provider to get an official diagnosis and treatment plan.

If your allergy symptoms are left untreated, you could become more prone to getting sinus infections or other upper respiratory infections, or may lead to poor asthma control.

Also, a common cold can turn severe. So, if your cold has had you laid up longer than a day or two, get in touch with your doctor.

You have a couple options:

Make an appointment for face-to-face care from a primary care doctor or clinician. Whether you choose a video visit or in-person appointment, your doctor will listen to your symptoms, answer questions and work with you to create a tailored treatment plan including connecting you with an allergist or an otolaryngologist if needed.

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How Allergies Can Cause A Sore Throat

The glands in your nose and throat make about one to two quarts of mucus every day, reports the American Academy of OtolaryngologyHead and Neck Surgery Foundation. This mucus has many important functions, such as keeping your nose clean and moistening the air you breathe, and you usually swallow it without realizing. Other times, people may notice mucus dripping down the back of their nose or pooling in their throat. This unpleasant sensation is known as postnasal drip, and it can be caused by allergies.

If you have postnasal drip, the trickle of mucus can irritate your throat and cause soreness and other symptoms, such as feeling a lump in the throat or swallowing more frequently. It may also make you feel the need to clear your throat more often.

Can You Have Just A Sore Throat From Allergies With No Other Symptoms

Technically, its possible to have just this one symptom from allergies, but its less likely to be your only symptom, Dr. Wada says. Basically, if you develop a sore throat and dont have any other issues, like a runny, stuffy nose, you should at least consider that your pain might be due to something else.

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What Causes An Itchy Throat

Allergies are one of the most common causes of an itchy throat. An allergic reaction occurs when a substance called an allergen triggers an immune system response in your body. Examples of common allergy triggers that can cause an itchy throat include:

• animal dander
• foods, such as peanut butter, dairy, or strawberries
• mold
• pollen, found in trees, grass, or ragweed

Allergies can range from mild to severe. An itchy throat can indicate a milder, yet uncomfortable, allergic reaction.

Inhaling pollutants can also lead to an itchy throat. These might include:

• chemicals
• tobacco smoke or vapor
• pesticides

Infections, such as the common cold or strep throat, can start as an itchy throat before progressing to soreness and pain.

An itchy throat may feel:

• itchy
• swollen
• scratchy

An itchy throat feels uncomfortable, and it can feel as if you need to clear your throat frequently.

Its important to distinguish between the symptoms of an itchy throat and similar symptoms that may indicate other conditions. For example, an itchy throat doesnt feel rough or raw, or make you feel as if you cant breathe.

Can Allergies Cause A Sore Throat Doctors Explain The Symptom

If youre plagued by seasonal allergies, you know the usual drill for this time of year: a runny nose, watery eyes, itchiness, and a general sense of misery.

Oh, and maybe a sore throat. Thats another unpleasantry that may pop up with the spring sniffles. Though not everyone associates an itchy, scratchy throat with seasonal allergies, this symptom is completely normal, says Omid Mehdizadeh, M.D., an otolaryngologist and laryngologist at Providence St. Johns Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif.

That doesnt make it fun, though. Heres a look at why allergies sometimes cause a sore throatand what you can do to start feeling better.

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How Can You Tell If Your Sore Throat Is From Allergies

Sore throat, especially during the winter months, can also signal a cold or a virus, making it hard to tell what youâre dealing with. It can be difficult to differentiate between a cold and allergies, but the best way to differentiate between the two would be length of symptoms and past history of allergies, Dr. Li says.

âBoth allergies and the seasonal cold can cause runny nose, stuffy nose, sneezing, watery eyes and cough,â he says. âHowever, cold symptoms typically last only a few days while allergy symptoms will often last several weeks to months.â

Allergy symptoms also typically flare up during the spring, summer and fall seasons, while colds usually come during the winter times, Dr. Li says. Allergy symptoms are also more responsive to oral antihistamine and nasal steroids while cold symptoms typically are more resistant to these types of treatments. Lastly, colds or viruses that can cause sore throat will usually will present with more fevers and body aches than allergies will.

Certain symptoms, such as runny nose or itchy, watery eyes, are more common with allergies than a cold, Dr. Simpson adds. If youâre also experiencing aches and pains or a fever, you most likely have a cold or virus. Thick yellow mucus is often more typical of a cold or virus.

The Effects Of Allergens

An allergen is a substance that causes an allergic reaction. When you’re allergic to something, your bodys immune system incorrectly identifies it as dangerous and begins creating antibodies against it. This antibody response is the reason your body produces allergy symptoms.

Common allergens that may cause a sore throat related to postnasal drip include:

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Sinus Discomfort And Sore Throat

A lot of pet allergies involve cold-like symptoms, such as coughing and sneezing. Cat allergies can cause post-nasal drip, which involves thick mucus sliding down your throat and creating a sore throat.

This symptom isnt constant, making people believe its caused by seasonal allergies or fighting off a cold. If you always feel like you have a sore throat and the start of a cold or sinus infection, it could be your cat.

How Can You Tell If Your Sore Throat Is From Allergiesor Something Else

Sore throat, especially during the winter months, can also signal a cold or a virus, making it hard to tell what you’re dealing with. It can be difficult to differentiate between a cold and allergies, but the best way to differentiate between the two would be length of symptoms and past history of allergies, Dr. Li says.

“Both allergies and the seasonal cold can cause runny nose, stuffy nose, sneezing, watery eyes and cough,” he says. “However, cold symptoms typically last only a few days while allergy symptoms will often last several weeks to months.”

Allergy symptoms also typically flare up during the spring, summer and fall seasons, while colds usually come during the winter times, Dr. Li says. Allergy symptoms are also more responsive to oral antihistamine and nasal steroids while cold symptoms typically are more resistant to these types of treatments. Lastly, colds or viruses that can cause sore throat will usually will present with more fevers and body aches than allergies will.

Certain symptoms, such as runny nose or itchy, watery eyes, are more common with allergies than a cold, Dr. Simpson adds. If you’re also experiencing aches and pains or a fever, you most likely have a cold or virus. Thick yellow mucus is often more typical of a cold or virus.

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Sore Throat From Allergies: Symptoms And Remedies

Among the allergy symptoms that can affect day-to-day life, getting a sore throat from allergies can be especially irritating. Together with a runny nose and itchy eyes, a sore throat can cause discomfort and disruption to your routine.

Allergy symptoms of a sore throat can include a dry, scratchy feeling in your throat. It could be caused by different kinds of allergies, whether seasonal or something in your home that is affecting you.

There are various steps you can take to help manage or even reduce the symptoms.

Find out more about potential sore throat allergy remedies with our helpful guide.

Mucus In Throat Every Morning

If you wake up each day with mucus in throat, which you feel needs to be expelled, there are a few different reasons for that. For starters, mucus in throat in the morning could be a result of an infection or allergy, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or it could be a sign of congestive heart failure.Congestive heart failure, in particular, can cause daily mucus in throat each morning, because the heart has a difficult time moving high amounts of blood through the body, causing fluid buildup. This fluid accumulates in the lungs, especially when a person is laying flat throughout the night. The result is a wet cough in the morning or throughout the night.

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How Can You Tell A Cold From Allergies

This can be challenging, Dr. Wada says. Still, there are a few signs that you might be dealing with one vs. the other.

Typically, allergies will last longerweeks to monthswhereas colds will last one to two weeks, Dr. Wada says. Colds also tend to have more body symptoms like muscle aches and even a fever, Dr. Parikh says. And, unless you develop an infection related to your allergies, you shouldnt get a fever from allergies.

Soothing A Sore Throat At Home

Here are several home remedies that may help soothe a sore throat from allergies, according to Harvard Medical School:

• Stay well-hydrated to help to thin the mucus.
• Consume more hot liquids, such as chicken soup.
• Use a humidifier or inhale steam.
• Prop yourself up with a few extra pillows at night, since mucus can collect in the back of your throat when you lie flat.

There are also many over-the-counter medications available, including oral decongestants and antihistamines. Nasal decongestants may also be helpful, though Harvard Medical School cautions that they shouldn’t be used for more than one to two days. For help choosing the most appropriate product, talk to your doctor or a pharmacist.

While these steps can help soothe a sore throat from allergies, they won’t prevent future allergy symptoms. Pollen, whether from grass, trees or ragweed, is a common culprit of seasonal allergies, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, so avoiding exposure to it can help. The Mayo Clinic recommends staying indoors on dry, windy days and, if possible, keeping your doors and windows closed on days with high pollen counts. If you need to do outdoor chores, such as lawn mowing or weed pulling, wear a pollen mask.

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Can Dust Allergies Give You A Sore Throat

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Can You Get A Sore Throat From Allergies And What Causes It

Yep, and how you develop it all comes down to how your body reacts when its exposed to an allergen like pollen. If you have allergies, your immune system will react to being exposed to an allergen by releasing histamines, chemicals that cause allergy symptoms.

For many people with seasonal allergies, those histamines can cause a stuffy, runny noseand that can trigger post-nasal drip, i.e. mucus running down the back of your throat, explains Purvi Parikh, MD, an allergist with Allergy & Asthma Network. And that can cause irritation back there. Cue the sore throat. Often, first thing in morning it will be worse from laying down all night, Dr. Parikh says.

Post-nasal drip isnt the only reason you might develop a sore throat from allergies, though. Coughing and mouth breathing can also mess with the way your throat feels, says Kara Wada, MD, an allergist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Of course, not everyone with allergies gets a sore throat. Allergies can affect each of us differently, Dr. Wada says. There are some things that might make you more prone to struggling with a sore throat from allergies, Dr. Parikh says, including how severe your allergies are and the anatomy of your nose.

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Know Your Paths To Care

Were here to help you get better quickly, with tools and information for self-care and convenient options for visits or advice when you need it. Easy ways to get help for your cold or allergy symptoms include:

• Consulting Nurse Service: Call a nurse, who will assess your symptoms and recommend treatments or other next steps. Available 24/7.
• Online visit: Complete a questionnaire about your symptoms. A clinician will provide a diagnosis, treatment plan and, if needed, a prescription without a trip to your doctors office.
• CareClinic by Kaiser Permanente at Bartell Drugs:Walk in for care at 15 Puget Sound Bartell Drugs locations. Open 7 days a week with evening and weekend hours.

When Does A Sore Throat Happen In Covid

A sore throat is an early symptom of COVID-19, usually appearing in the first week of illness and improving quite quickly. It feels worse on the first day of infection but gets better on each following day.

On average, a sore throat will last two to three days but can last longer in adults . If your sore throat is persisting, itâs unlikely to be COVID-19.

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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.

Is Your Sore Throat Caused By Cold Or Allergies

But, how to tell whether your sore throat is caused by allergies or just cold? The best way is to pay attention to the duration. How long does it last? A common cold will get pretty bad for a day or so, but they will often go away within a few days at the most, the common cold lasts for ten days. The flu lasts for about the same period of time, and is accompanied by muscle aches and fatigue among other symptoms. But allergies are persistent. They can go on for weeks or even months. Seasonal allergies often occur during the spring, and tend to come around every year, no matter what you do to try to avoid them.

You can also tell the difference between a cold and allergies by the mucus. Colds cause mucus that is yellowish, while allergies lead to a thin and clear mucus discharge. You might also notice a difference in symptoms: the cold tends to cause coughing and congestion, while allergies can include itchy eyes and a sore throat.

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Winter Allergies: Causes & Symptoms

Unlike a virus, allergies can be yearlong. You may experience symptom spikes in certain seasons such as the cold of winter or the heavy pollen of spring. Overall, your symptoms will not go away on their own unless you eliminate the trigger or teach your immune system to stop overreacting to the allergen. If youre suffering from winter allergies, you may deal with symptoms such as:

• Congestion
• Runny nose
• Sneezing

These symptoms look familiar, right? Other than a fever and muscle aches, winter allergies and a sore throat share many of the same symptoms! Its safe to assume that if you have a fever and muscle aches, those symptoms are not linked to winter allergies.

To add to the complication of determining if youre dealing with a sore throat or winter allergies, your throat may become sore dueto allergies, more specifically, post-nasal drip because of the presence of an allergen! Allergens such as tobacco smoke, dust, and pet dander can cause post-nasal drip to ramp up its production, causing an itchy and scratchy throat. If you cannot remove yourself from this allergen, it may be beneficial to talk to an allergist about immunotherapy.

Complications Of Allergic Rhinitis

If you have allergic rhinitis, thereâs 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.

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