Allergies Impact Hearing & Tinnitus: Solutions?

Whether you’ve experienced a terrible sinus infection or a head cold, you know that feeling when your ears and hearing start to change. Usually, your ears feel clogged, or there’s a severe feeling of pressure on them. Maybe you’ve even noticed that you couldn’t hear as well as usual. Seasonal allergies can impact you and change your hearing in the same manner. It can occur in the form of dust, mold, pet dander, or pollen by causing inflammation to your immune system which may result in congestion, itching, and sneezing.      

Allergies can cause significant repercussions on your body, including respiratory problems and excess tears. Your hearing can also be affected, which can affect daily life and interactions. 

We’ll go over the impact of allergies on your ears and hearing. Does it cause tinnitus? What should you do if seasonal allergies have changed the way you hear?

What is the Link between Hearing Loss and Allergies?

Seasonal allergies are temporary. They sometimes change as the temperature and weather shift. People who suffer from allergies tend to become hypersensitive in the spring when the pollen count has peaked. Allergy sensitivities worsen when atmospheric pressure changes or humidity and moisture levels increase. A person’s age and the environment they are in also influence allergies and how they impact you.      

Your body creates histamines when you have an allergic reaction. You can experience inflammation in different areas, like the ears. Inflammation can cause ear pain, a sensation of pressure in the ears, and hearing loss. 

Can Allergies cause Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is one of the most prevalent hearing problems linked to allergies. Tinnitus is a phantom noise, with no external source, that only the person suffering from it can hear. It may sound like a buzzing, chirping, or ringing noise.

It typically occurs when the cochlea or sensory hairs have deteriorated or are obstructed. There are many possible causes of tinnitus, including allergies. 
  

3 Instances Where Allergies Impact Your Hearing

1. Tinnitus

After an allergic reaction, a fluid buildup may occur in your ear canals and behind your eardrums due to congestion and pressure on your sinuses.

The pressure from this fluid can lead to sharp pain or feelings of clogged ears. When there’s a change in your sensitivity and the pressure to your sinuses, you might experience tinnitus allergies or worsen tinnitus symptoms.

2. Ear Infections

An ear infection can occur if problems with your ears go unchecked and untreated during allergy season. When moisture gets trapped in your ears, it becomes the perfect environment for bacteria and viruses to thrive. 

In most cases, ear pain and hearing loss due to allergies are temporary, but it can be challenging to tell the difference between this ear pain and a new ear infection.

You can wind up with permanent hearing loss and conditions that affect the ear. Meniere’s disease may lead to tinnitus, vertigo, and challenges with hearing if the ear infections go untreated. The severity can change regularly. 

3. Eustachian Tube Dysfunction

Fluid or mucus buildup in the middle ear may leak into the Eustachian tubes, causing inflammation in your throat and ears. If the tissue becomes swollen due to congestion, fluids won’t be able to drain effectively.

Since the Eustachian tubes are attached to the ear canals, anyone with this issue might endure hearing loss or other ear problems.

Get Treatment for Hearing Problems

Since seasonal allergies are so common, most people aren’t worried about the ramifications they can have on other areas of their body. It can harm hearing abilities in various ways. If your allergies become severe enough, you can start experiencing tinnitus, which raises your risks of ear infections that lead to dysfunctions with the Eustachian tubes.

Being more aware of these potential risks and how they occur helps patients take better care of their ears and reduce those problems from becoming permanent or developing problems like Ménière's Disease.  

Manage Tinnitus Caused by Allergies with Hearing Aids

If you already experience tinnitus, it may be so mild that it doesn’t bother you. If you experience seasonal allergies, noises from tinnitus can get worse or even create a high-pitched ringing. 

Tinnitus symptoms that go untreated can affect your hearing, mood, sleep patterns, and overall quality of life. 

Various solutions are available to mask noises you hear from tinnitus, for instance, white noise machines, apps, cognitive-behavioral therapy, or programmed hearing aids with a tinnitus-masking feature. Get in touch with Northumberland Hearing Center to schedule a consultation. 

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