Are Allergies Causing Your Cough? Here’s How to Tell

Spring is in the air, and that means sunshine, longer days, and flowers. But, for some people, it also means a return of allergy season. 

Maybe you’ve been dealing with seasonal allergies for years. Or you’ve only recently developed them. Either way, you might be wondering whether your cough could be from allergies or something else. 

Seasonal allergies can cause a lot of symptoms — and cough is one of them. But how can you be sure your cough isn’t a sign of something else? And how can you get rid of that stubborn allergy cough? Here’s how you can get relief from an allergy-related cough. 

Do allergies cause a cough?

Yes. Seasonal allergies can cause a cough.

There are several reasons why allergies may cause a dry or wet cough. Allergies can lead to the following issues.

Postnasal drip

When you breathe in an allergen, it causes inflammation in your nose. Your nose responds to this inflammation by making more mucus, and this mucus needs somewhere to go. Some of that mucus will come out of your nose and cause a runny nose. But some of it will drain from the back of your nose and into your throat. This is postnasal drip, which irritates your throat and triggers a cough reflex.

Mouth breathing

Mucus buildup makes it hard to breathe through your nose. Many people end up breathing through their mouth instead, even when they’re asleep. Mouth breathing dries out your mouth and throat. A dry throat can trigger your cough reflex too.

Asthma attacks

If you have asthma and seasonal allergies, you may have noticed that you're more prone to asthma attacks during allergy season. Studies show that seasonal allergies are an asthma trigger. For some people, a dry cough is the first (and sometimes only) symptom of an asthma flare or attack. 

How can you tell if your cough is from allergies or something else?

It can be tough to tell if your cough is from allergies or something else. 

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The time of year can help you tell if your cough is from an allergy or a viral illness. Cold and flu season typically lasts from October through March. Depending on where you live, you might not have seasonal allergy symptoms during this time frame.

But if you have allergies all year, the time of year won’t help you figure out if your cough is from allergies. And even though it’s not common, you can get a cold or flu during spring and summer months too. 

Since the time of year can’t tell you with 100% certainty whether your cough is from allergies, you need to look at other information too. Your symptoms can give you important clues to help you figure out whether your cough is from allergies.

There’s some overlap between cold, flu, allergy, and asthma symptoms. But there are important differences. Teasing out these differences can help you figure out whether your allergies are causing your cough. Here’s how the symptoms stack up.

Seasonal allergies

Seasonal allergies are more likely to cause:

• Congestion and runny nose

• Itchy, watery eyes

• Sneezing

They may also cause headaches and body ache, but these symptoms are less common. 

Colds and flu

Colds and flu are more likely to cause:

• Congestion and runny nose

• Fever

• Headache and body aches

• Sore throat

Colds and flu are less likely to cause itchy, watery eyes and sneezing. They may lead to chest tightness and trouble breathing if the cold or flu attacks the lungs and causes a lower respiratory tract infection, like bronchitis or pneumonia. 

Asthma flares

Asthma flares are more likely to cause:

• Chest tightness

• Trouble breathing

• Shortness of breath

• Rapid breathing

Asthma flares don’t usually cause congestion, runny nose, or sneezing. But if your allergies triggered your asthma attack, you may feel all of these symptoms. 

How do you treat a cough from allergies?

If your allergies are causing a cough, there are many options that can provide relief, including:

• Avoiding allergens and triggers

• Using over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications

• Trying natural allergy remedies

Combining these options may bring you the best relief. It can take a while to figure out which combination works best for you. Some allergy treatments may stop working for you over time. So you may need to switch up your approach once in a while.

Allergen avoidance

If you know what triggers your allergies, you should take steps to avoid allergens whenever possible. This can be easier said than done, especially if you’re allergic to things you can’t avoid all the time, like pollen or dust. 

But here are some science-backed things you can do:

• Keep windows closed during high allergy times.

• Change your clothes and shower after being outside to get rid of pollen.

• Wear sunglasses outdoors, so less pollen gets in your eyes.

• Keep things indoors, so pollen doesn’t settle on them.

• Wear a mask if you’re outside during high pollen season.

Allergy medications

Allergy medications can help get rid of a cough from allergies as well as other allergy symptoms. Many effective allergy medications are available OTC without a prescription, including: 

• Loratadine (Claritin)

• Cetirizine (Zyrtec)

• Fexofenadine (Allegra)

• Levocetirizine (Xyzal)

Allergy nasal sprays can also help your allergy cough. Many are also available OTC, including:

• Triamcinolone (Nasacort)

• Fluticasone (Flonase)

• Mometasone (Nasonex)

• Azelastine (Astepro)

It’s best to start taking allergy medication a few weeks before your allergy season starts. But even if you start taking them later into your season, you can still get relief from your allergy cough. At first, you may need to pair a nasal spray with an oral medication to control a cough from your allergies.

Natural cough remedies

There’s not a lot of evidence showing that natural remedies can effectively stop your allergy cough. But some of these tips may help your symptoms, especially while you wait for your allergy medication to kick in:

• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. This will keep your throat and mouth moist and can also thin out your mucus.

• Run an air purifier with a HEPA filter to help lower allergens and add moisture to your indoor air.

• Try a saline rinse using sterile water to clear the mucus out of your nose and keep your nasal passages moist.

• Swallow a spoonful of honey to coat the back of your throat and ease any irritation caused by a postnasal drip. A throat lozenge can help too. But don’t give honey to children under 12 months of age. 

When should you see a healthcare professional for a cough from allergies?

If you’ve tried OTC medications and other treatments and your allergy cough still won’t budge, it’s time to see your primary care provider.

They can figure out if something else is causing your cough or if you need specialized tests or treatments for your allergies. 

Don’t wait if you have any worrisome symptoms, like trouble breathing, rapid breathing, or chest tightness. See a healthcare professional right away. 

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Written by:

Tracy Norfleet, MD, FACP

Dr. Tracy Norfleet is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician, health expert, and physician leader with over 20 years of experience practicing adult medicine. Dual-certified by the American Board of Obesity Medicine and the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine, Dr. Tracy possesses a wealth of knowledge and expertise in both traditional medical practices and innovative lifestyle interventions for chronic disease management and reversal.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

Reviewed by:

Farzon A. Nahvi, MD

Dr. Nahvi is an emergency medicine physician and author of “Code Gray: Death, Life, and Uncertainty in the ER.” He works clinically at Concord Hospital in Concord, New Hampshire, and is a clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. Prior to this, he worked as an ER physician and clinical assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Mount Sinai Health System, NYU Langone Health, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, and the Manhattan VA. He is a graduate of Cornell University and NYU School of Medicine.

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