Key takeaways:
Seasonal allergies (allergic rhinitis) can cause a cough along with other symptoms like sneezing, congestion, and watery or itchy eyes.
Seasonal allergies can trigger postnasal drip and throat irritation. Both of these can lead to a dry, nagging cough.
Over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription treatments can help ease cough and other seasonal allergy symptoms.
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Spring means sunshine, longer days, and flowers. But, for some people, it also means a return of allergy season.
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.
Can allergies make you cough?
Yes, seasonal allergies can cause a cough. Allergies can cause a dry or wet cough for several reasons.
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Postnasal drip
Breathing in allergens — like pollen or grass — causes inflammation in your nose. Your nose responds to inflammation by mucus. Some of that mucus will come out of your nose and cause a runny nose. But some of it’ll drain from the back of your nose and into your throat. This is postnasal drip. Postnasal drip can irritate your throat and trigger the cough reflex.
Mouth breathing
Mucus buildup also causes congestion and makes it hard to breathe through your nose. Many people end up breathing through their mouths. 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. Seasonal allergies are an asthma trigger. So that cough may be 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. Some things that can help you tell the difference between allergies and an infection include:
Time of year
The sound of your cough
How long your cough lasts
Other symptoms
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 the flu during spring and summer months as well.
In this case, when the time of year won’t tell you for sure, you need to look at other information to figure out your cough. Your symptoms can give you important clues to help you figure out whether your cough is from allergies.
There’s some overlap between symptoms from cold, flu, allergies, and asthma. 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 an allergy cough?
There are many options that can provide relief from an allergy cough, 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.
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 the high pollen season.
Best medicine for allergy cough
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?
Seek medical care if you’ve tried OTC medications and other treatments and your allergy cough isn’t getting better.
Your healthcare team can figure out if something else is causing your cough or if you need specialized tests or treatments for your allergies.
Seek care right away if you have any worrisome symptoms like:
Trouble breathing
Rapid breathing
Chest tightness
Fever
Frequently asked questions
It’s not clear why some people develop seasonal allergies and others don’t. Seasonal allergies develop when the immune system releases chemicals in response to dust, pollen, or other allergies. These chemicals cause inflammation and allergy symptoms like:
Cough
Congestion
Stuffiness
Itchy, watery eyes
Untreated allergies cause inflammation and changes in the respiratory and immune systems. This increases the chance of developing viral or bacterial respiratory infections, like sinusitis, bronchitis, or pneumonia. People with underlying lung conditions and weakened immune systems are at higher risk for developing a respiratory infection on top of untreated allergies.
Over time, untreated seasonal allergies can cause inflammation throughout the respiratory tract, including the lungs. Untreated inflammation can cause lung damage. Treatment for seasonal allergies relieves symptoms. And it can also lower the risk of complications from inflammation.
How long your allergy cough lasts depends on whatever’s causing your allergies:
If you experience seasonal allergies from a specific pollen, your cough may last until there’s less of that pollen in the air.
If you have allergies all year, you may also experience a cough throughout the year.
This is why it's important to work with a healthcare professional to find a treatment plan that works for you to prevent and manage symptoms.
A cough from allergies can be wet or dry. With a wet cough, you may hear a rattling sound as you cough up phlegm (mucus). When allergies irritate your throat, you may experience a dry cough that sounds hacky, with no liquid rattle. You may also get a dry cough if you’re congested and can only breathe through your nose when you sleep.
There are many types of medications for allergies and coughs. So it’s best to work with a healthcare professional to make sure you aren’t doubling up on the same ingredient, like pseudoephedrine. They can help you find the best cough medicine and make sure it pairs with any allergy medication you’re taking.
It’s not clear why some people develop seasonal allergies and others don’t. Seasonal allergies develop when the immune system releases chemicals in response to dust, pollen, or other allergies. These chemicals cause inflammation and allergy symptoms like:
Cough
Congestion
Stuffiness
Itchy, watery eyes
Untreated allergies cause inflammation and changes in the respiratory and immune systems. This increases the chance of developing viral or bacterial respiratory infections, like sinusitis, bronchitis, or pneumonia. People with underlying lung conditions and weakened immune systems are at higher risk for developing a respiratory infection on top of untreated allergies.
Over time, untreated seasonal allergies can cause inflammation throughout the respiratory tract, including the lungs. Untreated inflammation can cause lung damage. Treatment for seasonal allergies relieves symptoms. And it can also lower the risk of complications from inflammation.
How long your allergy cough lasts depends on whatever’s causing your allergies:
If you experience seasonal allergies from a specific pollen, your cough may last until there’s less of that pollen in the air.
If you have allergies all year, you may also experience a cough throughout the year.
This is why it's important to work with a healthcare professional to find a treatment plan that works for you to prevent and manage symptoms.
A cough from allergies can be wet or dry. With a wet cough, you may hear a rattling sound as you cough up phlegm (mucus). When allergies irritate your throat, you may experience a dry cough that sounds hacky, with no liquid rattle. You may also get a dry cough if you’re congested and can only breathe through your nose when you sleep.
There are many types of medications for allergies and coughs. So it’s best to work with a healthcare professional to make sure you aren’t doubling up on the same ingredient, like pseudoephedrine. They can help you find the best cough medicine and make sure it pairs with any allergy medication you’re taking.
The bottom line
Your seasonal allergies can cause a cough. You can treat your allergy cough with OTC medications, allergy avoidance, and natural remedies. It can be hard to tell if your cough is from allergies or other conditions like colds, the flu, or asthma flares. If your cough isn’t getting better with OTC treatments, see your primary care provider. You may need allergy testing or prescription medication to treat your allergy cough.
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References
Akhouri, S., et al. (2023). Allergic rhinitis. StatPearls.
American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. (n.d.). Environmental allergy avoidance.
Chan, K. K. Y., et al. (2010). Chronic cough in patients with sleep-disordered breathing. European Respiratory Journal.
Cirillo, I., et al. (2007). Allergic patients have more numerous and prolonged respiratory infections than nonallergic subjects. Allergy.
Cloutier, M. M., et al. (2020). 2020 focused updates to the asthma management guidelines: A report from the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program Coordinating Committee Expert Panel Working Group. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Dykewicz, M. S., et al. (2020). Rhinitis 2020: A practice parameter update. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Idrose, N. S., et al. (2021). Outdoor pollen-related changes in lung function and markers of airway inflammation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical and Experimental Allergy: Journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Jia-Ying, L., et al. (2018). Efficacy of air purifier therapy in allergic rhiniti. Asian Pacific Journal of Allergy and Immunology.
Lucanska, M., et al. (2020). Upper airway cough syndrome in pathogenesis of chronic cough. Physiological Research.
