Allergies and hay fever Archive

When you have a cold, it's normal to feel mucus sitting at the back of your throat, and to have the urge to clear it. Typically this sensation lasts just a few days, but what happens if it lingers for weeks or months?

Climate change is causing longer, more intense allergy seasons, with increased amounts of pollen. This might make it harder for people to predict when their allergies might crank up, when to begin preparing for them, and how to discern the difference between allergy symptoms and upper respiratory illness. Strategies to cope include noting daily pollen counts, staying indoors when counts are high, checking with a doctor about new or worsening symptoms, and wearing a mask when outside for more than a few minutes.

The average cough, typically due to a cold or other respiratory virus, lasts three weeks or less. A lingering or chronic cough lasts eight weeks or longer. Most causes of chronic cough aren't serious, such as bronchitis, seasonal allergies, or medication side effects. People should see a doctor if over-the-counter treatments haven't worked or if they experience signs such as breathlessness, wheezing, chest pain, blood in the sputum, weight loss, or fatigue. Before an appointment, people should track their cough and note its patterns to offer clues for diagnosis.