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Allergic cough: symptoms, treatment
Last reviewed: 05.07.2025
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Do not confuse a regular cough with an allergic cough; at first glance, the symptoms are similar, but different treatment will be required.
In the cold season, a dry cough is nothing new: each of us at least once a season manages to catch a cold or acute respiratory infection. A cold cough is usually accompanied by a runny nose, sore throat, and high temperature.
[ What causes allergic cough?
The cause of an allergic cough is almost always in the environment: it can be pollen, animal hair particles, house dust, cigarette smoke. Allergens, getting into the body, irritate the respiratory tract, which causes attacks of dry cough. The problem is that it is quite difficult to determine the allergen affecting the body, and even more difficult to avoid it.
Symptoms of an allergic cough
It is not difficult to distinguish an allergic cough from a cold cough if you carefully monitor the symptoms. If coughing fits begin suddenly, last for 2-4 minutes, and then also suddenly stop; if the cough is dry, irritating the throat and is not accompanied by a high temperature, then, most likely, it is of an allergic nature. An allergic cough, the symptoms of which resemble bronchial asthma, is also called the cough form of this disease.
Allergic cough is characterized by attacks most often at night, which are accompanied by symptoms such as: runny nose, itching in the nose, sneezing, difficulty breathing up to suffocation. A distinctive feature of allergic cough is the absence of fever.
How to recognize an allergic cough
If you notice that at certain moments your body reacts to the environment with the appearance of such a symptom as an allergic cough, do not waste time. First of all, consult an allergist who, with the help of simple diagnostics, will help to determine the allergen that is dangerous for you. Diagnostics will include an examination by an ENT specialist, a survey about the presence of chronic respiratory diseases or hereditary diseases. The doctor will also ask questions about living conditions, pets or plants. There are cases when an allergic cough is a consequence of diseases suffered in childhood, so if you suffered from allergies to certain foods at an early age, then the chances of getting an allergic cough increase.
Allergic cough: how to treat?
After you have learned the cause of your cough through a medical examination, you will need to make every effort to eliminate the allergen. If you are allergic to wool, then, unfortunately, it is better to part with your pets: health is more important. If you are allergic to flowering trees or plant pollen, then reduce the time you spend outdoors. If you develop an allergic cough to house dust, you will inevitably have to become more clean: wet cleaning twice a day, an air ionizer will help maintain the necessary atmosphere in the apartment.
To quickly eliminate an unpleasant allergic cough, take antihistamines: they will not cure you completely, but will soothe your throat within 10-15 minutes. Cough drops and syrups will also help. Supporters of folk recipes can try making a decoction of bay leaves, a spoonful of flower honey and a teaspoon of soda. You can drink the cooled drink several times a day, immediately after a coughing fit.
Allergic cough, treatment of which is started in a timely manner, has a good prognosis, as it prevents the development of more serious diseases, such as chronic obstructive bronchitis and bronchial asthma.
The above methods are good for immediate relief, but they cannot cure allergies. Allergic cough is a symptom that requires careful diagnosis, examination of the body by specialists of different profiles, changes in diet and lifestyle. If you notice that allergic attacks occur frequently and it is becoming increasingly difficult for you to cope with them, immediately consult a doctor to prevent more serious diseases in time.