There are several causes of scratchy throat, such as postnasal drainage, allergies, the common cold, and acid reflux. Treating the cause will generally help the symptom of scratchy throat. Some of the home remedies that you could employ are gurgling with salt water, drinking honey with tea, using a humidifier, and avoiding triggers if you know you have allergies.
Allergies Symptoms
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Stacy Wiegman, PharmD , Pharmacy, answeredSee All 4 AnswersIt can be hard sometimes to figure out if you have allergies or a cold. Here are some main differences between the two:- The mucus produced by a cold gets thick and may turn yellow or green. Mucus is typically clear with allergies.
- A sore throat is more common with a cold than with allergies.
- Colds often bring on a low fever (especially in children). Allergies never cause fever.
- Both colds and allergies can cause coughing and sneezing, but coughing is more common with colds, and sneezing is more common with allergies.
- A cold should clear up within a week to 10 days. An allergy can drag on for as long as you're exposed to what's causing it.
- A cold is most common in winter, while allergies can crop up any time of year.
- Itchy eyes are a classic sign of allergies but don’t occur with colds.
- Both colds and allergies can cause fatigue, but aches and pains usually indicate a cold or even the flu.
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Reston Hospital Center answeredIf you have a diagnosis determining what your allergy is, and you can easily control your symptoms with medication or by avoiding the allergen, you may not need to talk to your physician further. However, if your symptoms increase or are not being fully treated by your medication, talk to your doctor about your options. In addition, if your condition changes-you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, for example-speak to your physician as certain allergy medications should be avoided during pregnancy. If you are unsure about anything, always talk to your doctor.
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RealAge answeredYou can't control your allergies with a single approach. You've got to use every symptom-soothing tool you can. You also need to be consistent in your efforts and willing to explore new treatment options. Most of all, you need to have a step-by-step, strategic plan that keeps you organized and on track, so you can finally take control of your allergy symptoms.
Use the following steps to lay the groundwork for your own, personalized allergy-control plan:
- Partner with your doctor. Solid allergy relief won't come from a single visit to your doctor. Only a long-term relationship with your doctor will do -- one in which you proactively track and share your symptoms, ask the right questions and follow up if you're not getting the relief you need.
- Get allergy-tested -- even if you've been tested before. Your allergy triggers can change with time.
- Avoid your triggers. It's impossible to avoid all your triggers, but you should try. Minimizing exposure is the best way to prevent symptoms from flaring up.
- Follow your medication plan. That includes sticking with any over-the-counter or prescription medications for as long as your doctor recommends. Combine your allergy medications with other sinus-soothing steps to speed your relief.
- Live a healthy lifestyle. Kick bad habits, such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol or eating inflammation-inducing junk food.
- Don't forget the TLC. Saline sprays, neti pots, humidifiers and other self-care remedies provide extra layers of allergy-symptom relief, so don't skip this step.
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Dr. Paul M. Ehrlich, MD , Allergy & Immunology, answered
Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is the main antibody seen in allergic disease. Its primary role is thought to be defending against parasites. Levels are often checked to determine the degree of allergy or atopy a patient has. Elevated levels often correlate with severe eczema. -
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Dr. Paul M. Ehrlich, MD , Allergy & Immunology, answered
You only become allergic to things after you have already been exposed to them. An allergic response cannot take place upon first exposure to an allergen; sometimes that fact provides some very poignant glimpses into people's lives. For example, we once had a teenage patient from an observant Jewish family. His general practitioner had ordered a standard battery of radioallergosorbent test (RAST) tests and when son and father arrived to hear the results, I was chagrined to find a reaction to shrimp and lobster. These delicacies are not allowed under dietary laws observed by both devout Jews and Muslims, who are restricted to eating only kosher or halal foods, respectively. Ergo, it could only be that the son had tasted forbidden fruit of the sea.
In reviewing the results with them, my body language made the father suspicious and he asked to look at the printout himself. He said, "Doctor, it is my understanding that you only become allergic to things after you have already been exposed to them." I nodded. He turned to his son and spoke to him firmly but kindly in Yiddish. I couldn't contain my curiosity and asked him to tell me what he had said. He answered, "How did it taste?" -
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See All 2 AnswersSymptoms of seasonal allergies include runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, and general malaise. If you experience these symptoms in spring or fall and they are relieved by an over-the-counter allergy medicine such as Claritin or Zyrtec, you can safely diagnose yourself with seasonal allergies. -
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Dr. Clifford W. Bassett, MD , Allergy & Immunology, answered
Facial markers that can indicate that you have allergies include allergic shiners (puffiness under eyelids), lines in the lower eyelid and a distinctive crease in your nose from rubbing. Watch allergist Clifford Bassett, MD, explain these symptoms.
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Reston Hospital Center answered
The symptoms of environmental allergies vary. Some common symptoms are a runny nose, watery eyes, itchy skin, congestion, and rashes. These symptoms can be experienced as mild or severe. Some allergies cause anaphylaxis, which includes constricted airway and swollen throat lining. These types of symptoms cause trouble breathing and need emergency treatment.
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See All 2 AnswersRedness, swelling and hives are just a few indicators of an allergic reaction to an insect bite. In this video, emergency medicine physician, David Feldman, MD, of Good Samaritan Hospital, describes other symptoms to watch for.