I regularly suffer from a very runny nose, coughing and a sore throat. Is it possible this is to do with an allergy?

It is common to experience mucus in the back of the throat as a result of an allergy to the likes of animal dander, dust mites, mould spores and pollen.

Allergens can irritate the lining of your nose which causes your nasal passages to produce more mucus. This is supposed to trap unwanted pollen particles to facilitate their removal from the nose. As our nose and throat are very well connected, this mucus can drip from the nose to the back of your throat causing a tickling sensation and coughing. 

To address the problem it’s important to stay hydrated as water helps to rinse the throat of allergens that may be lurking there. It also stops your throat from getting dry which would only worsen any coughing. Eight to ten glasses a day is the recommended amount!

Alongside this, you should try to up your vitamin C intake as this is a natural anti-histamine meaning it could help to ease your symptoms. Oranges are the obvious choice, but remember things like broccoli, potatoes and red and green peppers also contain vitamin C too.  

If you’d like some more information on how to address the symptoms of an allergy, have a look at my article on the topic.