What causes allergy symptoms?
Symptoms of allergies can be provoked by many different allergens. Spring sees a surge, as plants, including grasses, trees and weeds, release their pollen – common offenders. Others causes, known as allergens, include dust mites, moulds and pet dander.
“If you’re allergic, your body interprets environmental substances, often encountered in everyday life, as foreign,” says Cape Town allergologist and paediatrian Dr Pieter de Waal.
In response to this, your immune system releases histamine and other chemicals into your bloodstream, causing a flood of allergic-immune cells into your nasal membranes, which swell and congest, producing excessive fluid and mucous. When this excess mucous trickles down your throat in the form of a postnasal drip, your throat can tickle, and grow scratchy and sore.
What are the main symptoms of allergies?
Symptoms of allergies can be similar to colds and flu, in that all three can cause a stuffy head, runny nose, postnasal drip and sore throat. However, it’s usually an allergy if you have watery, itchy eyes, an itchy nose and sneezing, clear nasal discharge, no muscle aches or fever (as you would with flu), and the sore throat lingers.
Colds and flu usually clear up in a week or two, while allergies may persist for weeks, sometimes months. “Also, allergic nasal symptoms, commonly known as hay fever, often flare during the change of season when pollen counts are exceptionally high,” says Dr De Waal.
If you have any doubt about the source of your sore throat, or it persists or worsens, contact your health-care provider. Do so immediately if you have difficulty swallowing, breathing or opening your mouth, any swelling or lumps in your face or neck, earache, a rash or a fever.
Causes of a sore throat, apart from allergies and colds or flu, can be laryngitis (inflammation of the voice box), tonsilitis (inflammation of the tonsils), streptococcal throat infection (a bacterial infection of the throat), glandular fever (a viral infection that can be spread in saliva by kissing), or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (where acid leaks up from the stomach).
What can you do about a sore throat if you have allergies?
Apart from immunotherapy (see below), there are no cures for nasal allergies, but you can relieve the discomfort of an allergy-linked sore throat. The Centers for Disease Control suggests over-the-counter painkillers and antihistamines to reduce the effect of your body’s histamine. Your health professional may prescribe stronger varieties.
They include non-sedating antihistamines and intranasal corticosteroid sprays. “These sprays have been found to be safe and highly effective in addressing underlying nasal inflammation,” says Dr De Waal. “They should be taken regularly and continuously during the pollen season.”
Talk to an allergy expert about testing, to narrow down which pollen culprits are affecting you (tree, grass or weed pollen, or mould spores), and discuss the best treatment, he says. “Other treatment options of particular importance are nasal douches – these flush out the allergens from your nasal mucosa and allow your corticosteroid nasal spray to work better.”
Ask about immunotherapy – a series of shots to build tolerance to allergens. “Immunotherapy can potentially cure your nasal allergy and, if you have co-existing asthma, also improve your asthma symptom control,” he says.
You may also find temporary relief from an allergy sore throat by gargling with warm salt water (a quarter teaspoon to a cup of water), drinking warm liquids (soup, bouillon, decaffeinated teas with honey), and sucking lozenges or ice lollies (try freezing fruit juice).
If you have an allergy, it pays to follow the pollen counts for your area. “If you know what you are allergic to, you should pay particular attention to regular anti-allergy medication use during times when pollen counts are particularly high,” says Dr De Waal.
For more information on allergies, or to find a doctor with a special interest in allergies near you, click here to visit the Allergy Foundation South Africa (AFSA) website.
Also read: Is it an allergy or a virus?
Click here to order antihistamines from Clicks
IMAGE CREDIT: 123rf.com