Allergic Cough

Allergic Cough

Cold does not cause every cough—an allergic cough brought on by allergens or infections. Most allergic cough symptoms are similar to a regular cough, such as trouble breathing, runny nose, throat irritation, etc. However, the causes of both cough conditions are different; they require other treatments? This article comprehensively describes allergic cough, including symptoms, causes, therapy, and prevention to help you better understand and treat your problem. 

Causes of Allergic cough

Following are a few common causes of allergic cough:

  • Immunity Problem: When different organisms or materials enter your body, and your immune system is forced to resist them, it produces a variety of reactions. A weak immune system might bring on an allergic cough. This can also happen due to an overactive immune system trying to defend you from substances that aren’t meant to harm you. In this situation, the body produces histamine, which causes cough and other symptoms such as sneezing, throat irritation, nasal congestion, etc. 
  • Genetics: Allergies are passed down the generations, such as food allergies. If you have a family history of allergies, you may be more susceptible to specific allergens. Therefore, genetics can sometimes induce allergy cough. 
  • Allergens: If you’re allergic to dust particles, pollens, pets, and other allergens, you may get an allergic cough. These allergies usually produce a chronic cough. Over 40 million individuals in the United States suffer from allergies, so it is common to catch allergic coughs. 

Symptoms 

Following are a few common symptoms of allergic cough:

  • Cough for a few days or more
  • Watery eyes
  • Runny nose
  • Itchiness in eyes
  • Sore throat

You’re more likely to have an allergic cough if you have all or a few symptoms listed above. You probably think that these all are the symptoms of a common cold. Yes, you are correct, but a typical cold also causes a fever (the first common cold symptom). There is no fever or pain in the body with an allergy cough. Other infections can sometimes cause allergy-induced coughs accompanied by specific symptoms such as headaches and a clogged brow. While other symptoms of sinus infection and allergic cough are common. Due to weakened immune systems, older persons experience more severe symptoms than young ones that stay longer.

Treatment 

Home remedies and over-the-counter drugs can be used to treat allergies. However, you should contact a doctor if your allergy does not improve within a few days. A few successful home treatments and drugs for allergy cough are listed below.

  • Remedies at home 

To get rid of allergy cough, it is recommended to use a nasal rinse to clean out the sinuses and nasal passages, which create a lot of inflammation. Rinsing devices are used to remove it, e.g., the neti pot is a well-known gadget for treating various ailments such as allergies, sinusitis, and snoring. This gadget has a vessel for cleaning the nasal tube and a pot for transporting the fluid. Using a Neti pot is incredibly simple; you just fill it with warm water and salt and use it as a pitcher to drain liquids out of your nostril.

Taking medications is not necessary. Saline nasal sprays can help you breathe better, minimize postnasal drip, and eliminate your dry cough by rinsing debris and bacteria out of your nose. Moreover, inhaling steam is another traditional treatment in which the water vapors produced by steam can help loosen mucus and reduce allergy-related Coughing. Commercial equipment called a ‘steamer’ is quite suitable for inhaling steam, but if you don’t have one, you may take a hot shower to loosen up. 

  • Medication

Cough allergies can be treated with various medications that indirectly prevent and lessen cough by lowering the postnasal dip. It will also reduce the causes of coughing symptoms. Some medications are over-the-counter, while others require a doctor’s prescription based on the severity of the symptoms. Antihistamines, steroids, and decongestants are the available medicines to treat allergic coughs. Likewise, steroids can be used with a doctor’s prescription or over-the-counter medication to keep allergy coughs at bay. Corticosteroid nasal spray is the most effective treatment that can be used if a person is experiencing nasal allergy symptoms. According to the doctor’s prescription, the oral form of corticosteroids is used for severe allergy problems. Another form of cough allergy medication is a decongestant used to reduce the edema in the nasal passages.

Moreover, Antihistamines are medications that inhibit the production of histamines. These are substances used to assist allergies and counteract their activities. Certain foreign chemicals can be dangerous if misused and cause allergic problems.

Prevention 

Allergies cannot be avoided entirely, but their manifestation frequency can be decreased. To avoid developing an allergy, a person should first determine the triggers of the allergy and avoid them. Keeping the environment clean might help to reduce dust allergies. Moreover, someone with a pollen allergy and spores should keep an eye on the weather. 

 

References:

  • https://www.verywellhealth.com/allergy-cough-5204689 retrieved on April 09, 2022. 
  • https://www.verywellhealth.com/allergy-cough-5204689 retrieved on April 09, 2022. 
  • https://acaai.org/allergies/symptoms/cough/ retrieved on April 09, 2022. 

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/allergies-and-the-immune-system retrieved on April 09, 2022.

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