Get Your Allergies Under Control
Schedule an appointment with your doctor if youre experiencing persistent coughing that you suspect may be related to allergies. Your doctor will perform a physical examination, ask questions about your medical history and may recommend allergy testing to determine what substances are triggering your cough.
Take the medications your doctor prescribes. Your treatment plan may include an antihistamine to reduce stuffiness, a decongestant to help dry up mucus and possibly a prescription or over-the-counter cough medicine. If you have allergic asthma, take your asthma medicines as prescribed.
Follow up with your doctor if she recommends immunotherapy, commonly called allergy shots. This treatment decreases your sensitivity to allergy triggers and, over time, can reduce your symptoms, including persistent coughing.
- Schedule an appointment with your doctor if youre experiencing persistent coughing that you suspect may be related to allergies.
- This treatment decreases your sensitivity to allergy triggers and, over time, can reduce your symptoms, including persistent coughing.
Why Allergies May Cause A Cough
A cough is your bodys reflex to an allergen or irritant in your throat or airway.
Allergies can also cause a cough due to postnasal drip.
Normally, mucus in your sinuses drains through your nose.
But if your sinuses are swollen due to allergies and cant drain, mucus may drip into your throat and trigger a cough.
Its also common for people with seasonal allergies to experience postnasal drip at night when theyre lying in bed.
Back Up: Why Do We Cough Anyway
Coughing is a natural response to irritation in your throat or airways. To put it simply, receptors in the throat, trachea, and lungs respond and lead to activation of the cough center in the brain, explains Clifford Bassett, M.D., founder and medical director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York.
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Coughing is an essential defense mechanism, he says, and its your bodys way of pushing any unwanted stuff out, including pollen, mucus, and pieces of food, to make more room for air to get through.
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Allergy Shots For Allergy Cough
There are several options available to help with cough symptoms and allergies, including allergy shots. These shots can help your body become accustomed to the substance, so that it does not overreact in the future. For most people, allergy shots provide long-lasting relief of symptoms, and they can also help prevent the onset of new symptoms. However, some people may lose their immunity to a particular allergen over time, and will need to start over with their shots. If this happens, you should consult with a doctor to determine the best course of action. Also, if you are unable to control your symptoms, you may be suffering from a new allergy that you have not had before.
In addition to allergy shots, you can also try oral medications that can relieve your symptoms. These medications are not for everyone, and you should talk to your doctor to determine which one will be best for you. Usually, allergy shots will work for up to three years. After that, you will no longer have significant symptoms and may be able to stop taking them completely.
You should also be aware that allergy shots have side effects. Some may cause local reactions, such as itching and burning. However, other reactions may be systemic, including hives, coughing, and wheezing. In case of severe allergic reactions, you should visit your doctor immediately. Your telehealth online doctor may prescribe epinephrine to help reduce the symptoms.
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.
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What Else Can I Do
Besides taking supplements, people can make some lifestyle changes to relieve allergy symptoms naturally. Pay attention to allergy triggers and work to remove pollen, dust, or other allergens from the home. Some people also benefit from irrigating the nasal passages with saltwater. For more information about allergy medication or supplements, speak with a healthcare provider or pharmacist.
What An Allergy Cough Feels Like
What an allergy cough feels like depends on whats happening in your body.
If your throat is irritated by an allergen, you might feel a tickle in your throat and experience a dry cough.
Postnasal drip due to allergies can also cause a tickle in your throat, but in this case you may cough up mucus or phlegm.
This is called a wet, or productive, cough.
Additionally, allergies can exacerbate asthma and cause shortness of breath and wheezing.
If this happens, use your asthma medication .
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What Medications Can Cause An Allergy Cough
Ironically, some medications used to treat allergies can also cause cough.
Antihistamines are a class of drugs commonly prescribed to treat allergy symptoms. They work by preventing histamine from attaching to cells and triggering inflammation.
Second-generation antihistamines like Claritin and Zyrtec are able to do this without the drowsiness associated with earlier-generation drugs. However, one of the common side effects of these popular over-the-counter drugs is a cough.
This is because antihistamines have a drying effect that can leave the throat feeling scratchy. Even so, the cough is generally mild and will clear once you stop treatment.
Allergies And Asthma Attacks
If you have asthma, exposure to your allergens may trigger an asthma attack, narrowing your airways and making it difficult to breathe.
Always follow your doctors instructions for asthma treatment, including taking daily medications and using a rescue inhaler.
If youre struggling to breathe and dont have medication or your medicine isnt working, call 911 or go to the emergency department immediately.
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Who Is Most Likely To Experience Chronic Cough
People who use tobacco, especially smokers, are at a high risk of developing chronic cough. There is even something called smokers cough that lasts longer than three weeks. The cough begins when your body tries to clear itself of the irritants that enter when you smoke.
Other people at risk of developing chronic cough include those with certain conditions, including:
- Exposure to dust and chemicals, either through an occupation or otherwise.
- Obesity, especially in the stomach area.
Just Curious: Why Do We Cough Anyway
“The purpose of a cough is to help us,” says Monica Lee, MD, an otolaryngologist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear. Its your bodys way of trying to expel something it perceives as a threat in the airway, she says.
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Those perceived threats can be a bunch of different things: a piece of food stuck in your throat, pollen, air pollution, or swelling or drainage from extra mucus in your throat. All those things irritate the sensory fibers in your airway, which then stimulate a cough.
As for what exactly happens in your body during a cough? It’s kind of complex, says Dr. Lee. Basically, your vocal chords close briefly to generate pressure in the lungs. Once enough pressure is built up, your vocal chords open back up, and air flows quickly through your voice box, which generates that coughing sound. Kinda cool, huh?
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Are There Tests To Diagnose The Cause Of An Allergy Cough
Testing by a specialist known as an allergist may be recommended if allergy symptoms are severe and/or are interfering with your quality of life.
The aim of the testing is to determine which allergens you are hypersensitive to. In some cases, allergy shots may be given to gradually desensitize you to those allergens.
The two tests commonly used to diagnose allergies include:
- Skin prick test: This involves the insertion of tiny amounts of suspected allergens beneath the skin to see if a reaction occurs.
- Blood tests: These are IgE-specific tests, also known as RAST testing, that can detect antibodies associated with certain allergens.
An allergist can also help determine if your cough is related to allergic rhinitis or asthma. Identifying the underlying cause is crucial as each of these two conditions is treated differently.
Top 9 Natural Allergy Relief Home Remedies
According to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America, one in five people, or an estimated 50 million Americans, suffer from some type of allergies. The chances are high that you or someone you know deals with ongoing allergies, whether seasonal allergies, food allergies or another type, and could use allergy relief at least from time to time.
Most people who struggle to find allergy relief go to the doctor to be treated and/or are routinely given pharmaceuticals ranging from acetaminophens to antihistamines, both of which may actually further aggravate the symptoms they were given for. If you prefer not to take prescriptions to keep your symptoms under a control, what can help allergies at home?
Home remedies for allergies including symptoms like congested sinuses, headaches, and watery or itchy eyes include using frankincense essential oil, eucalyptus oil and quercetin. Below youll learn about nine amazing, all-natural home remedies for allergies that can help provide fast allergy relief.
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Dust Mite Allergy Often Strikes In Bed
Allergy immunotherapy means either regular injections at the doctor’s office or taking tablets under your tongue first at the doctor’s office and then at home. Treatment takes three to five years. Youll need to complete the full course even if your allergy cough disappears sooner. Your healthcare provider can tell you if it might be right for you.
How To Prevent An Allergy Cough
While you can’t always avoid respiratory allergies, you can reduce the frequency of them by taking a few precautionary measures.
Among them:
- Identify and avoid triggers:Start by keeping an allergy diary, taking note of where you were and everything you did up to the time of an allergic reaction. Over time, you may see a pattern emerging and identify which allergens are at the heart of your symptoms.
- Watch the weather: If you have hay fever, watch local weather reports to see when pollen or mold levels are high. Windy days also increase the amount of allergens in the air, increasing your chances of an allergy attack.
- Time your activities: During allergy season, pollen levels tend to be higher in the morning. Plan your outdoor activities during the evening if possible.
- Clean your environment: Allergies to dust and pet dander can be reduced by keeping your environment clean. Replace air filters frequently, and keep pets out of your bedroom. You should also vacuum after your pet has been on rugs or furniture.
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When To See A Doctor
Not every itchy or sore throat will go away on its own. On occasion, your itchy throat may be the first sign of something more serious, such as strep throat.
Look in your mouth with a mirror and a bright light if you have a persistent itchy throat. Should you see white patches or a throat that looks red and swollen, you may have strep throat. Because strep throat is a serious bacterial infection, it will get worse without antibiotics. Talk to your doctor immediately so they can test you for strep throat and give you a prescription for antibiotics, if necessary.
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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.
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How To Treat An Allergy Cough At Home
Some ways to treat an allergy cough at home include:
- Taking over-the-counter medications: Allergy medicines, such as antihistamines, nasal sprays, and decongestants, can help reduce the inflammation and mucus production that can lead to a cough.
- Using a humidifier or inhaling steam from a shower:Humidifiers can help clear congestion and soothe throat irritation.
- Using an air purifier: A high-quality air purifier can help reduce the number of allergens and irritants in the air inside a persons home or office space.
- Taking prescription medications: Nasal sprays and antihistamines can help alleviate an allergic cough affecting the upper respiratory tract. Inhalers are usually needed to treat an allergic cough affecting the lower airways.
What Causes Chronic Cough
There are several medical conditions that are linked to chronic cough. These include respiratory conditions, such as:
- Asthma: This is the second most frequent cause of chronic cough. Shortness of breath and wheezing happen when you have asthma. These breathing difficulties can result in a chronic cough. There is also a form of asthma where chronic cough may be the only symptom.
- Bronchiectasis: This condition causes coughing because mucus builds up and lung tissue gets thicker.
- Bronchitis: This condition is a known cause of coughing due the swelling that happens in the bronchial tubes and the increase in mucus production. There are two types chronic and acute.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease : COPD is actually a term that refers to a group of respiratory issues that includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
- Upper respiratory conditions like flu, pneumonia and colds: These infections are generally caused by viruses. Coughing is one symptom that tends to last after the others are through. The viruses attack the nose, the throat and the sinuses.
Other reasons for chronic cough include sinusitis and allergies. Sinus problems and allergies, along with upper respiratory infections, produce post-nasal drip. This drip is sometimes feels like a tickle in the back of the throat, and drainage can lead to chronic cough. This tickle happens when the amount of draining mucus is larger than usual.
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Recovery After Allergic Cough
After a course of anti-allergy medicines and following the prevention tips, Priyanka noticed a massive improvement in her condition.
In a follow-up visit Priyanka said, People dont understand how irritating can persistent cough be especially, when it is triggered by factors that arent in your control
Now that I know whats causing this reaction, I can take the right preventive steps along with anti-allergy medicines. As soon as the pollen-heavy season starts, I start wearing a mask when I go out and take my anti-allergy medicines when needed.
I feel much better now and I can finally enjoy the changing seasons and not dread them.
How Do I Know My Cough Is From A Cold
You know how allergy coughs are typically on the drier side? Coughs from colds tend to be on the wetter side .
Coughs that come along with a cold usually come along with stuffiness, along with postnasal drip , which can cause a sore throat or chest discomfort. A low-grade fever may also signal a cold instead of allergies.
How To Fight A Cold
Colds aren’t as immediate as allergies. Instead, they tend to develop over the course of a few days, says Dr. Bryson.
You can try a few different things to help relieve a cough. Decongestants can work for, well, congestion. And ingredients like dextromethorphan can can help ease the coughing itself. Just make sure you take any products as-directed.
It should be said, however, that a dry cough isn’t always allergies, just like a wet cough isn’t always a cold. Allergies can plague your nose, for example, causing post-nasal drip , while mild colds might not leave you stuffed up enough to produce any phlegm.
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Allergy Cough Symptoms Causes And Treatment
Allergy Cough: If youve been suffering from an allergy-induced cough, there are several treatments, including nasal sprays, allergy shots, and antihistamines to help manage the symptoms. Some of these treatments may reduce inflammation and mucus production. Humidifiers can also help clear congestion. Steam can also soothe your throat. You can also consider using an air purifier in your home to reduce allergens.
