Hello Spring! This greeting for many of my patients would sound more like "Hello, allergy!" With the advent of spring, allergy sufferers are alarmed, and I perfectly understand why. Year after year, the situation repeats itself, and they are still looking for the best solution that will allow them to enjoy life.
The most common symptoms in allergy sufferers are: runny nose, nasal congestion, frequent sneezing, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes, shortness of breath, dry cough, skin rashes.
Recently one of my patients asked me, "Can a sore throat be caused by an allergy?" Yes, it is possible. In addition, this is a rather dangerous condition.
Allergic sore throat is often mistaken with a symptom of a cold, especially when it first occurs. To avoid this mistake, it is necessary to pay attention to the general state of health – allergic sore throats are most often not accompanied by high fever, aching bones, or the appearance of pus in the throat. Another distinguishing feature may be that the symptoms that characterize an allergic reaction, as a rule, increase upon contact with the allergen, and weaken in its absence.
You can learn more about the link between allergies and sore throats from this article: https://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/sore-throat
What causes a sore throat from allergies?
If allergens are present in the air inhaled by a person, then the mucous membranes of the nose and throat become the first "front line" for immune cells, where these substances settle. As a result, allergic rhinitis, nasal congestion, perspiration, cough, and sore throat appear.
How to treat allergies in the throat at home?
Here are some home remedies recommended by allergists to relieve post-nasal sore throat:
- Drink plenty of fluids to help thin the mucus.
- Choose hot liquid foods like chicken broth.
- Use a humidifier or breathe over the steam.
- Put plenty of pillows under your head at night to keep phlegm from accumulating in the back of your throat.
- Highly effective are the inhalations with herbs and the addition of essential oils, such as mint, eucalyptus or sea buckthorn.
- A very simple and cheap recipe is to gargle with a solution of baking soda and salt. For one procedure, you will need at least one glass of solution to get a good result.
- A tincture of crushed aloe leaves in olive oil, aged for 5 days, is suitable for lubricating the back of the throat. This procedure is recommended to be carried out twice a day.
What not to do
With allergic inflammation of the throat, there are a number of actions that are prohibited, since they will only worsen the patient's condition. Often, for pain when swallowing and discomfort in the throat, classic folk remedies such as honey, lemon or ginger are used. These home remedies are strong allergens that further irritate the mucous membrane, causing the spread of the inflammatory process.
It is also not recommended to take antibiotics for an allergic form of the disease in the absence of medical indications. There will be no therapeutic result from them, and they will aggravate the condition, as they will reduce the activity of the immune system.
Has allergy season begun? Well, despite the sore throat, remember about the remedies that will help relieve unpleasant symptoms. If they don't work, be sure to consult your doctor.