Can allergies cause a sore throat?

How allergies cause it

An allergy sore throat can start in the nose. Hay fever (allergic rhinitis) can cause a runny nose or postnasal drainage, along with itching, usually in the nose, mouth, eyes or throat.³ Nasal allergies can leave mucus, or phlegm, in the throat, which is called postnasal drip.⁵

That mucus can bother the throat. When more mucus drains down the back of your throat, substances in it may irritate the throat and cause coughing.⁵ CDC lists allergies among the causes of a sore throat.¹ In NIH’s comparison of symptoms, a sore throat sometimes comes with an airborne allergy.⁶

Timing can hint at the allergen. In spring, the most common hay fever triggers are tree and grass pollen. In fall, a common allergen is ragweed or other weed pollen, or outdoor mold.³ Tree pollen is typically released in early spring, grass pollen in late spring and summer, and weed pollen in late summer and fall.⁵ When symptoms last all year, they are generally caused by dust mites, pet hair or dander, cockroaches or mold.³

Allergies or something else?

Viruses, like those that cause colds or flu, are the most common cause of a sore throat. Other causes include the bacteria that cause strep throat, smoking and secondhand smoke, as well as allergies.¹ Hay fever shares many symptoms with a cold, but it is not caused by a virus or bacteria.³

A few differences can help you tell them apart. Fever is not a symptom of allergies.⁴ With a cold, you may have a low-grade fever and a thicker or yellowish discharge from your nose. With hay fever, a runny nose will likely have a thin, watery discharge.³ A sore throat is common with a cold but happens only sometimes with an airborne allergy, and allergies can also cause itchy, watery eyes, which you don’t normally have with a cold or flu.⁶

Timing is another clue. Hay fever symptoms can begin right after you are exposed to an allergen, while a cold usually begins a day or two after exposure to the virus and can last a few days to a week.³ Allergies usually occur at the same time every year and last as long as the allergen is in the air.⁵

Strep throat has its own signs. Common symptoms include a sore throat that starts very quickly and may look red, pain when swallowing, fever, red and swollen tonsils, white patches or streaks of pus on the tonsils, tiny red spots on the roof of the mouth and swollen lymph nodes in the front of the neck.² A cough, runny nose, hoarseness or pink eye suggest that a virus, not strep, is causing the sore throat.²

When to see a doctor

Most sore throats get better on their own within one week.¹ See a healthcare provider for difficulty breathing or swallowing, blood in saliva or phlegm, excessive drooling in young children, dehydration, joint swelling and pain, a rash, or symptoms that do not improve within a few days or get worse.¹ Tell a healthcare provider about recurrent sore throats, and talk to one right away if a child under 3 months old has a fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher.¹

If you have chronic (long-term) rhinitis, AAFA advises seeing a board-certified allergist if possible.⁵