It’s difficult to accomplish your daily tasks if you have a nagging cough. Coughing is commonly caused by irritation in the throat, which is often related to an allergic reaction. Allergic reactions affect between 40 and 50 million Americans, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. The most effective way to prevent a nagging cough and other allergy symptoms is to identify and avoid the allergen.
Postnasal Drip
A common cause of a nagging cough from an allergic reaction is postnasal drip. Postnasal drip occurs when your sinuses become inflamed and swell. Mucus becomes trapped in the nasal passages and cannot drain properly. The excess mucus drips down the back of your throat, causing irritation to the throat. Mucus might also build up in the throat and esophagus, causing a reflex in the throat that triggers constant coughing. The most common type of allergic reaction that leads to postnasal drip is allergic rhinitis, or hay fever. Allergic rhinitis is an allergic reaction to airborne allergens, such as pollen, mold, pet dander and dust mites.
Allergic Asthma
Allergic reactions can also cause swelling to occur in your lungs, airways and throat, leading to constant coughing. During an allergic reaction, your immune system overreacts to a substance, which the body attacks with immunoglobulin E antibodies, according to MedlinePlus. The antibodies trigger a chain reaction throughout the body, causing the production of histamine in soft tissues. Increased levels of histamine in the lungs cause swelling and can restrict your ability to breathe. Common symptoms associated with this reaction include coughing, chest pain, chest tightness and wheezing, a high-pitch sound made by your constricted windpipe.
Other Symptoms
Along with coughing, an allergic reaction causes other symptoms to develop in your body. Hay fever causes eye irritation, throat itchiness, nasal congestion, sneezing, sinus headaches and swelling around the eyes. Food and medication allergies cause skin irritation, skin inflammation, hives, rashes, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, asthma, lightheadedness, facial swelling, throat closure, dizziness, an increased heart rate and a drop in blood pressure.
Treatment
Aside from avoiding known allergens, talk with your doctor about taking a daily antihistamine. This medication can help prevent and treat postnasal drip by restricting the body’s mast cells from creating too much histamine. If coughing is the result of a severe allergic reaction, you might need an injection of epinephrine to alleviate symptoms and prevent death.
