The cough is typicallydry and non-productive, meaning it doesn’t bring up mucus.
It is sometimes described as having a “barking” or “hacking” sound.
An allergy cough will last until its treated or you remove the allergen that triggered it.
Illustration by Theresa Chiechi for Verywell Health
Allergy coughs can sometimes be hard to tell from conditions like asthma or anupper respiratory tract infection.
An allergy can also set offasthma, which can cause a cough and trouble breathing.
The cough is not resulting from an infection like it is when you have a cold or the flu.
Rather, it’s a common symptom ofseasonal allergiesand hay fever.
Histamine is the main cause of allergy symptoms.
It causes tiny blood vessels to widen and leak fluid into the tissues nearby.
When this happens in the nose and sinuses, it can lead to congestion and a runny nose.
The drainage can make your throat itch or tickle, which triggers coughing.
Allergy Medications That Cause Coughs
Some medications used to treat allergies can also cause a cough.
Antihistamines can have a drying effect and can leave the throat feeling scratchy, which can make you cough.
This cough is generally mild and will go away when you stop treatment.
Research continues into how specific medications might be effective in treating cough.
In this case, the side effect of drowsiness works in your favor.
Natural Allergy Cough Treatments
Here are a fewnatural treatments for dry coughsthat may help with allergy coughs.
That means some supplement products may not contain what the label says.
Allergy symptoms can interfere with your daily life and may even keep you from getting enough sleep.
You might even be able to get long-term relief with a treatment likeallergy shots.
The cough is usually because of mucus drainage that irritates your throat (post-nasal drip).
Allergy coughs can be treated with OTC antihistamines, expectorants, decongestants, nasal irrigation, and steam inhalation.
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