Do You Cough With Allergies

What Causes Allergic Rhinitis

If you have allergies, your body releases chemicals when you are exposed to an allergen. One such chemical is called histamine. Histamine is your bodys defense against the allergen. The release of histamine causes your symptoms.

Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen. Pollen comes from flowering trees, grass, and weeds. If you are allergic to pollen, you will notice your symptoms are worse on hot, dry days when wind carries the pollen. On rainy days, pollen often is washed to the ground, which means you are less likely to breathe it. Your allergies can vary depending on the time of year:

• Allergies that occur in the spring are often due to tree pollen.
• Allergies that occur in the summer are often due to grass and weed pollen.
• Allergies that occur in the fall are often due to ragweed.

Allergens that can cause perennial allergic rhinitis include:

• Mold is common where water tends to collect, such as shower curtains and damp basements. It can also be found in rotting logs, hay, and mulch. This allergy is usually worse during humid and rainy weather.
• Animal dander.The skin, saliva, and urine of furry pets such as cats and dogs are allergens. You can be exposed to dander when handling an animal or from house dust that contains dander.
• Many allergens, including dust mites, are in dust. Dust mites are tiny living creatures found in bedding, mattresses, carpeting, and upholstered furniture. They live on dead skin cells and other things found in house dust.

Birth Of A Sinus Infection

Most people dont give much thought to their sinuses. Yet these little air-filled facial chambers have an important job to do. When you breathe through your nose, your sinuses go to work filtering pollutants, allergens and other irritants. If your sinus cavities are swollen and inflamed due to a cold, mucus can become trapped and create a breeding ground for infection.

Recommended Reading: Nasal And Sinus Center Of Austin

Allergies Rarely Cause Sore Throats Or Body Aches

The only ache you may feel with allergies is a headache from all that congestion. Allergies can cause a sore throat if theres enough irritation from post-nasal drip and coughing, but if youre experiencing a sore throat or mild body aches, theyre more likely a sign of a bad cold.

Can allergies cause chills? No. If you have chills, its more likely you have a cold, the flu or another infection .

Also Check: Why Do My Allergies Come At Night

Signs Of A Sinus Infection Getting Better

When youre suffering from a sinus infection, the pain, pressure, and nasal congestion can make the days feel long. Fortunately, for most patients, infections clear up in a week or so.

You may use some over-the-counter remedies to help relieve symptoms, such as saline spray, a neti pot, nasal steroid spray, or decongestant medication, but some good signs your sinus infection is getting better include:

• Increased energy
• No more facial pain or pressure

Remember rest and hydration are always key to kicking a sinus infection. But despite these improvements, you may still experience a lingering cough.

Living With Allergic Rhinitis

Living with the symptoms of allergic rhinitis can affect your daily life. Nasal symptoms can be worse when lying down. This can disturb your ability to sleep well. Fatigue and headaches can affect your ability to function at school and work.

There is also a link between asthma, eczema, and allergic rhinitis. Therefore, getting good control of allergic rhinitis is crucial for maintaining good control of asthma.

There are many medicines and treatments that can help you manage your symptoms. Talk to your doctor as soon as you feel that your symptoms are getting worse or are not easy to control. Your doctor can help you come up with the right plan to control allergies so they dont affect your ability to live your normal life.

Recommended Reading: How To Cure Food Allergies

Can I Prevent Allergy Symptoms

If youre suffering from allergy symptoms you can try to limit your exposure to the allergens whenever possible. Some suggestions include:

• Stay away from cigarette smoke and pets
• If you have seasonal allergies, you can also keep your windows closed during the peak months when your symptoms flare-up
• If you do go outside, wear a mask to protect yourself
• Delegate allergy triggers such as mowing the grass
• Keep your home or office as clean as possible if you know dust mites are a problem
• If you have food allergies, avoid those foods
• Use over-the-counter allergy medications to help control your symptoms
• Use air conditioning in the car or home
• Use a dehumidifier to keep the indoor air dry in your house
• Select a high-efficiency filter for your HVAC unit and follow recommended maintenance to care for these units
• Clean your home with a vacuum that has a HEPA filter

There are all kinds of over-the-counter medications that you can try. They could potentially help for a time. Nonprescription medications could include:

• Antihistamines or decongestants
• Saline or nasal irrigation

However, you cant always avoid or limit your exposure to the things that cause your allergies, such as pollen, pet dander, or mold. Over-the-counter medications may not alleviate your symptoms. Fortunately, your doctor can help with medications to alleviate your symptoms.

You May Like: Allergy Test Cost Without Insurance

What Sleeping Position Stops Coughing

Elevate your head and neck. Sleeping flat on your back or on your side can cause mucus to accumulate in your throat, which can trigger a cough. To avoid this, stack a couple of pillows or use a wedge to lift your head and neck slightly. Avoid elevating your head too much, as this could lead to neck pain and discomfort.

Also Check: Is Hemp Oil Good For Allergies

How To Relieve Your Allergy Symptoms

If youre convinced your cough is a result of allergies, start by making a few changes to decrease your exposure to potentially irritating substances: Keep your windows closed, shower as soon as you come inside after being outdoors, brush your pets after walks, or invest in an air purifier for your home.

Allegra 24-Hour Allergy Tablets

OTC medications are also a great starting point, Dr. Bassett says. Oral antihistamines, like Claritin and Allegra, help block the histamines that set off symptoms in the first place. Nasal steroid sprays, like Flonase, can help clear a stuffy nose if youre dealing with that, too.

But the right treatment depends largely on the cause for a cough, Dr. Bassett says. If you dont see any improvement after taking these steps, reach out to an allergist, who can give you a proper diagnosis, help you identify your triggers, and potentially recommend prescription allergy meds or allergy shots.

Like what you just read? Youll love our magazine! Go here to subscribe. Dont miss a thing by downloading Apple News here and following Prevention. Oh, .

How Are Seasonal Allergies Diagnosed

Talk with your doctor if you think your child might have seasonal allergies. The doctor will ask if the same symptoms happen at the same time each year after your child is around an allergen, and do an exam. The doctor may be able to make a diagnosis, or might refer you to an allergy doctor for allergy skin testing or a blood test.

To find which allergens cause a person’s symptoms, allergists usually do skin testing. During skin prick testing, an allergist or nurse puts a tiny bit of a liquid containing an allergen into the skin by making a small scratch or prick on the skin. They usually do skin testing on a person’s forearm or back. The allergist then waits 15 minutes or so to see if a red, raised bump, called a wheal, forms. If it does, there might be an allergy. The allergist uses a ruler to measure the wheal and the redness around it.

Even if a skin test or a blood test shows an allergy, a child must also have symptoms to be diagnosed with an allergy for sure. For example, a child who has a positive test for grass pollen and sneezes a lot while playing in the grass would be considered allergic to grass pollen.

Don’t Miss: Can You Develop Allergies As You Get Older

Allergy Sore Throat Treatment

So, you have a sore throat, cough, runny nose and congestion. Have you caught a common cold or do you have allergy symptoms? Sometimes, it is even difficult for doctors to distinguish between the two, because their symptoms can be so similar. If you have persistent throat discomfort accompanied by other allergy symptoms, consider that you may have a sore throat due to allergies.

Home Remedies And Tips To Stop Coughing

The type of cough associated with allergies is hard to manage and becomes annoying when you cant seem to find relief. These different tips and tricks can help you eliminate the symptoms of allergies and relieve your cough quickly.

The best part is theyre easy things to do and dont require much extra effort, so you dont have to worry about carving out a lot of time to get rid of that cough.

Read Also: Can Allergies Make You Hot And Cold

You Notice A Seasonal Pattern

If you’re the type of person who knows they get the same cold every March, it might be time to reconsider what the culprit actually is. “If you notice it’s seasonal like clockwork, and every spring or fall you get these symptoms, it might be allergy-related,” Dr. Parikh said.

That holds true even if your seasonal symptoms occur earlier than you might think of as allergy season, Dr. Rosenstreich said. “In the Northeast, for example, most people are not aware of the fact that the trees begin to pollinate even when there’s still snow on the ground. Depending on the weather, people can have allergy symptoms in February.”

Socan Allergies Cause Coughing Give It To Me Straight

In short, yes. Usually, allergies create dry coughs . If thatâs the case, youll likely have other symptoms . Headaches and wheezing often come with allergies, too, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

Related Story

• When Is Allergy Season 2022 Going To Start?

Timingâs also a factor. If youâre allergic to pollen , for example, youll likely notice symptoms almost immediately, or within an hour of being exposed. And those symptoms could last for hours after youâve been exposedeven after the allergen isnât nearby anymore.

Coughs related to allergies are also dependent on patterns, so doctors always try to look at the big picture. Say you get a cough every single March. That could be a sign youâre actually suffering from allergies, instead of the common cold. âYou need to look at everything thatâs going on,â says Paul Bryson, MD, an otolaryngologist at the Cleveland Clinic.

Your best defense for a cough from allergies? Antihistamines like Allegra, Claritin, and Zyrtec, which are all available over-the-counter. Other options include steroid nasal sprays and immunotherapy shots, which can work to regulate your bodyâs response to allergens, instead of just relieving the symptoms.

Also Check: Do Allergies Cause Post Nasal Drip

An Introduction To Cough And Seasonal Allergies

A persistent cough can be one of the most irritating symptoms of seasonal allergies, particularly if it is persistent. These coughs are usually dry and caused by pollen irritating the back of the throat or air passages, triggering the natural body reaction of coughing to clear the irritant.

Coughs associated with seasonal allergies may also be caused by what is known as the postnasal drip. When pollen irritates the nasal passages, excessive fluid is produced by the inflamed membranes. This builds up and drops down the throat, irritating it, giving rise to a dry cough.

What About Herbal Remedies

Herbal remedies can either be taken to treat seasonal allergies at the root of your cough, or be taken to treat the individual symptom.

For example, Pollinosan Allergy Relief Tablets combines several different herbs designed to reduce inflammation of the mucous membranes which occurs as the body reacts to pollen. Unlike some conventional seasonal allergies treatments, Pollinosan does not cause drowsiness.

If you are looking for a specific remedy for coughs, A.Vogel’s Soothing Cough Syrup containing extracts of spruce can help to ease a dry or tickly cough whilst Bronchosan may help with a mucous cough.

Also Check: Do Nut Allergies Include Coconut

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.

Questions To Ask Your Doctor

• Could anything else, such as a cold or the flu, be causing my symptoms?
• How do I figure out what Im allergic to?
• Is my allergy seasonal?
• I am allergic to _____. Am I at risk for any other allergies?
• What changes can I make at home to relieve my symptoms?
• Will any over-the counter medicines relieve my symptoms?
• What should I do if my symptoms get worse or dont respond to the treatment youve prescribed?
• Do I need to see an allergy specialist ?

Also Check: What To Do For A Cat With Allergies

How You Can Tell The Difference Between Cold And Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

With both allergies and colds, its typical to have congestion or a runny nose, and to sneeze often. You may also feel tired and drowsy. But there are several other symptoms that dont often overlap between allergies and a cold. Here are some of the telltale differences between cold symptoms and allergy symptoms.

Causes Of An Allergy Cough

An allergy is essentially the immune system’s inappropriate response to a substance that is otherwise harmless.

When exposed to an allergen, the immune system will produce a substance called immunoglobulin E that sets off a chain reaction, causing immune cells known as mast cells and basophils to break open and release histamine into the bloodstream.

Histamine is the main cause of allergy symptoms. It causes tiny blood vessels to widen and leak fluid into surrounding tissues. When this occurs in the nose and sinuses, it can lead to nasal congestion and a runny nose.

The cough itself is the result of a postnasal drip. This is when mucus drains from your nose into the back of your throat, causing an itch or tickle that leads to coughing.

Don’t Miss: Can Food Allergies Cause Extreme Fatigue

Avoid Exposure To Allergy Triggers

Avoid exposure to substances you know you are allergic to — a strategy known as allergen avoidance. Whether you have a cough related to seasonal allergies or allergic asthma, this is an important part of managing allergy symptoms.

Stay away from cigarette and wood smoke, which irritate the airways and may trigger bouts of coughing. Also avoid exposure to strong, irritating fumes, such as those from cleaning products, fragrances or industrial chemicals.

Avoid being outdoors when pollen and mold counts are high if you have seasonal allergies. Keep allergens out of your home by keeping windows closed. Minimizing your time outdoors when the air quality is poor and during periods of high humidity or very cold weather may also help reduce allergy-related coughing.

Clean your home thoroughly to reduce allergens in the home. Dust and vacuum regularly, and wear a mask when cleaning to prevent breathing in allergens. Using an air purifier with a high-efficiency particulate air, or HEPA, filter may also trap allergens and keep the air in your home cleaner.

Tips

If you continue to experience persistent coughing, visit your doctor to determine whether your treatment plan requires revision.

Warnings

If you experience trouble breathing, dizziness, lightheadedness or wheezing, seek immediate medical attention.

What Are The Treatments For Allergic Rhinitis

The first and best option is to avoid contact with substances that trigger your nasal allergies . When prevention is not enough, consider using over-the-counter or prescription medicines:

• Antihistamines are taken by mouth or as a nasal spray. They can relieve sneezing and itching in the nose and eyes. They also reduce a runny nose and, to a lesser extent, nasal stuffiness.
• are taken by mouth or as a nasal spray or drops. They help shrink the lining of the nasal passages which relieves nasal stuffiness. These nose drops and sprays should be taken short-term.
• Nasal corticosteroids are used in nasal spray form. They reduce inflammation in the nose and block allergic reactions. They are the most effective medicine type for allergic rhinitis because they can reduce all symptoms, including nasal congestion. Nasal corticosteroids have few side effects.
• Leukotriene receptor antagonists block the action of important chemical messengers other than histamine that are involved in allergic reactions.
• Cromolyn sodium is a nasal spray that blocks the release of chemicals that cause allergy symptoms, including histamine and leukotrienes. This medicine has few side effects, but you must take it four times a day.

Nasal allergy symptoms may disappear completely when the allergen is removed or after the allergy is treated. Talk to your pharmacist and health care provider about what is best for you.

Read Also: How To Get Rid Of Allergies Runny Nose