An allergy cough is caused by your immune system's response to an allergen
Can cause sneezing, congestion, and itchy skin, eyes and nose, as well as a cough.
Most people have experienced a cough caused by a cold or flu — the kind of cough that comes on strong for a few days during an illness, and then tapers off as you start to feel better. But what if you have a cough that just won’t go away?
If you have a chronic dry cough (a cough that has lasted for more than three weeks), it may be a symptom of allergies or asthma.
If your cough is allergy-related, you might notice that you cough more during some seasons, or in some environments. This can be caused by the presence of allergens that may affect you.
You might also have other symptoms of allergy. Hay fever (allergic rhinitis) can cause sneezing, congestion, and itchy skin, eyes and nose, as well as a cough. Congestion from allergies can also cause dark circles, called allergic shiners, to appear under your eyes.
An allergy cough is caused by your immune system’s response to an allergen, rather than by an infection like a flu or cold cough. Asthma can also cause a cough. If you are also wheezing or have tightness in your chest or shortness of breath, you may have an asthma cough. Your board-certified allergist is a specialist in helping patients find relief from symptoms like asthma and allergy cough.
Asthma and allergy coughs are typically caused by swelling or irritation of the airways.
Allergies like hay fever can cause a chronic dry cough. If you’re sensitive to dust, pet dander, pollen, mold, or other common allergens, then your allergy symptoms may include a cough. Allergies can also worsen your asthma symptoms, causing them to become severe.
Learn about some common allergy triggers and how to avoid them:
If you sneeze a lot, if your nose is often runny or stuffy, or if your eyes, mouth or nose often feel itchy, you may have allergic rhinitis, a condition that affects 40 million to 60 million Americans.
Allergic rhinitis develops when the body’s immune system becomes sensitized and overreacts to something in the environment that typically causes no problem in most people.
Allergic rhinitis is commonly known as hay fever. But you don’t have to be exposed to hay to have symptoms. And contrary to what the name suggests, you don’t have to have a fever to have hay fever.
Home is supposed to be a comforting oasis, but for people with dust allergies the home can trigger uncomfortable symptoms. Oddly enough, allergy symptoms often worsen during or immediately after vacuuming, sweeping and dusting. The process of cleaning can stir up dust particles, making them easier to inhale.
People with dust mite allergies often suffer the most inside their homes or in other people’s homes. Dust mites are microscopic organisms that feed off house dust and the moisture in the air. They are one of the most common indoor allergens, and symptoms can be present year-round. In addition to allergic rhinitis, dust mite allergy can also trigger asthma and cause eczema to flare.
Mold allergy symptoms can be similar to those of other respiratory allergies:
Mold allergies can be tough to outrun. The fungus can grow in your basement, in your bathroom, in the cabinet under your sink where a leak went undetected, in the pile of dead leaves in your backyard and in the field of uncut grass down the road.
There are roughly 1,000 species of mold in the United States — many of which aren’t visible to the naked eye. As tiny mold spores become airborne, they can cause allergic reactions in people who have mold allergies.
Don’t let allergies hold you back from the things you love.
Mold allergy symptoms can be similar to those of other respiratory allergies:
As disturbing as this may sound, cockroaches aren’t just unsightly pests, crawling across your kitchen floor in the middle of the night. They can be an allergy trigger as well.
The saliva, feces and shedding body parts of cockroaches can trigger both asthma and allergies. These allergens act like dust mites, aggravating symptoms when they are kicked up in the air.
The National Pest Management Association reports that 63 percent of homes in the United States contain cockroach allergens. In urban areas, that number rises to between 78 and 98%of homes.
Typical cockroach allergy symptoms include: