Are Seasonal Allergies Causing Your Sore Throat?

Seasonal allergies can make you miserable. They can disrupt your sleep and make you feel tired and worn out during the day. As your allergies worsen, you may begin to feel like your coming down with a cold. A raw, scratchy throat may be one of the first signs that your allergies are flaring up. For many people, sneezing and a runny nose will often lead to other symptoms that include a sore throat and sinus infection.

The Effects of Seasonal Allergies

Seasonal allergies cause a variety of symptoms. Because the body is constantly fighting the allergens it’s exposed to, several things can begin to happen. Since plants and trees pollinate at night, your sleep can be interrupted causing you to be tired and lethargic throughout the day.

Constant exposure to allergens can also make you more susceptible to cold and flu viruses. Your risk of bacterial, sinus infections may also be excessively high. The longer you suffer from seasonal allergies, the more likely you are to experience a sore, irritated throat.

What Causes A Sore Throat?

Seasonal allergies can cause a wide range of uncomfortable symptoms including sinus congestion, runny nose, watery eyes, and a sore throat. When the body releases histamine, it also produces excessive fluid and mucus to help flush out the allergens that are causing the problem. What the body doesn’t expel through the nose or by coughing drains down into the throat causing it to become sore and irritated. The more sinus drainage you have, the more severe your sore throat will be.

How Can I Treat It?

The best way to treat a sore throat caused by other seasonal allergy symptoms is to control those symptoms. Once you know what causes your allergy symptoms, you have several options available to you. You can use over the counter medications that are formulated to handle the symptoms you’re experiencing and provide you with short-term relief. You can also learn about immunotherapy which helps your body to create the antibodies it needs to fight off the effects of the allergens.

If you don’t want to worry about the side effects that certain medications cause, you can also try herbal supplements and teas that formulated to soothe your symptoms and help you get the rest you need.

When you start to experience the first signs of your seasonal allergies, start to strengthen your immune system. Begin eating healthier foods and using herbal supplements that contain antibacterials and antivirals. This will reduce your risk of coming down with a cold. It may also reduce the severity of your allergy symptoms as well. Contact our team at Backfit Health + Spine for a complimentary allergy assessment. We look forward to putting together a treatment plan customized for each individual patient!