Associated symptoms

Various symptoms can occur in the context of an allergy. In the case of a pollen allergy or a house dust allergy, symptoms such as watery, itchy, reddened eyes, a runny nose (rhinitis) and increased sneezing are common. Allergy-related sore throats are also not uncommon.

In the case of food allergies, accompanying symptoms such as swelling around the mouth and throat, itchy mucous membranes, itchy rashes around the skin, diarrhea and vomiting can occur. Coughing, which occurs in the context of an allergy, is usually dry. In comparison, respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia often cause coughing with expectoration of mucus, which is called productive cough.

In bronchial asthma, too, increased production of mucus often occurs during an asthma attack. A cough without expectoration of phlegm is therefore a sign of allergic cough. Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract caused by hypersensitivity of the bronchi.

In many patients, certain allergens are the trigger of an asthma attack; this is known as allergic asthma.In comparison to a “normal” pollen allergy with watery eyes and a runny nose, asthma also causes attacks of acute shortness of breath. Coughing is also a very common symptom. In an acute asthma attack, the cough can be productive, i.e. with expectoration of mucus.

Between attacks, asthmatics often suffer from dry irritable cough. Learn more about this below: Bronchial asthmaBreathlessness can be a symptom accompanying an allergic reaction. However, in allergies of normal severity, shortness of breath is rather rare.

Allergic bronchial asthma is an exception to this rule. Here, breathing difficulties often occur in acute attacks, which are caused by a narrowing of the airways. Acute shortness of breath can also occur in the case of an exaggerated allergic reaction, the so-called anaphylactic shock. This is caused by a rapid swelling of the airways in response to a triggering allergen. If such shortness of breath occurs in the context of an allergy, a doctor should be consulted immediately, as an allergic-induced narrowing of the airways can become life-threatening.