Allergies and Hearing Loss

If you have allergies, you’ll undoubtedly recognise the most common symptoms, such as a runny nose and sneezing. But some allergy sufferers also find that their ears are affected, which can result in temporary hearing loss, or the worsening of pre-existing conditions such as tinnitus.

Whenever your immune system encounters allergens such as pollen, it produces antibodies that release histamine. It’s this production that triggers your allergic response - and why you experience everything from congestion, sneezing and itchy eyes to a tickly throat and irritated skin.

But your immune response can also result in inflammation within your eustachian tube (which connects the back of your throat to your ears and nose), and any swelling or excess mucus here can result in pressure, which makes your ears feel blocked. This is called conductive hearing loss, and it usually gets better once your allergic reaction eases. 

However, this has an effect on how sound travels through your ear, with the inflammation making it harder for the sound waves to vibrate the bones in your middle ear - and therefore affecting how well you hear. So for some people, allergies can cause hearing loss - albeit temporarily.

If you do have issues with your ears as a result of an allergy, you might also notice other symptoms, including:

• Itchy ears
• Feeling dizzy or off-balance
• Ear ache

Though these symptoms will usually subside along with your other symptoms once your allergy eases.

If you find that these continue even after your allergic reaction has eased, it’s essential that you speak to your doctor in case there’s another underlying cause.

In short, yes, tinnitus can sometimes develop alongside other allergy symptoms - especially if your ears are affected. This is known as allergy-related tinnitus.

It’s also possible that, if you already suffer from tinnitus, any allergic reaction - such as hay fever - can worsen your symptoms and lead to problems with your sleep, how well you hear and your quality of life.

Tinnitus manifests as sounds or noises in your ear with no discernible cause. These sounds include:

• Buzzing
• Roaring
• Ringing
• Pulsating
• Whistling

These noises can come and go or be constant, and the volume can vary, which can make tinnitus hard to manage. You may also find that you’re more sensitive to everyday sounds, and that your hearing isn’t as good as before. 

If you develop tinnitus for the first time either during or after an allergic reaction, or find that your symptoms don’t ease once your allergic reaction abates, it’s important to speak to your doctor so they can investigate the cause and help you manage the condition.

Allergies can impact your ears and hearing in different ways, depending on which part of your ear - outer, middle or inner - is affected.

Your outer ear

You may find that your outer ear and ear canal is itchy or swollen - often a result of an allergic skin reaction.

Your middle ear

Allergies are most likely to affect your middle ear. As we’ve seen, if your middle ear is swollen or inflamed, your eustachian tube won’t be able to function properly, and any fluid that would normally drain away will build up, leading to pressure within your ear and causing a feeling of fullness - or a sensation that your ears need to ‘pop’’.

This can lead to issues with balance and dizziness, as well as a loss of or change in your hearing. It can also result in infection (particularly if you find that your ears are painful), so if you do notice that your hearing loss or balance issues are accompanied by any discomfort, speak to your doctor.

Your inner ear

If you suffer from an inner ear disease, such as Ménière’s disease, you may be used to changes in your hearing. However, if you also suffer from allergies, you may find that the changes are more prevalent when your allergies are at their worst - such as during the summer - or that they fluctuate in line with your allergies.

Ultimately, your hearing can be affected by your allergies, and while your middle ear is most likely to be affected, you may experience problems with any part of your ear. However, any hearing loss should be temporary, and should resolve itself once your allergies have eased.

Conductive hearing loss   

This type of hearing loss occurs when sound waves can’t reach the bones in your inner ear. It can be caused by inflammation and excess mucus - both of which can happen as a result of allergies - and is usually curable, or clears up naturally once your allergies ease.

If your hearing doesn’t improve, or is sudden and unexplained, make sure you book an appointment with your doctor to determine the cause.

While it can be irritating and difficult, hearing loss and tinnitus caused by allergies is usually temporary and often seasonal, particularly where allergies such as hay fever or seasonal congestion are concerned. 

This means that your hearing will return to normal - and any symptoms of conditions such as tinnitus - will ease once your symptoms subside.

But there are several remedies you can try to alleviate your symptoms in the meantime:

• Gently wash your ears with a warm, damp cloth. Make sure you dry them thoroughly afterwards, but don’t insert anything into your ear canal
• Try yawning - it can help your ears pop
• Antihistamines and allergy relief tablets can ease your symptoms
• Inhaling steam or menthol can help relieve pressure in your middle ear by opening the eustachian tube and allowing any fluid build-up to drain away  

If you find that your hearing loss persists, or that you experience any pain, it’s important to speak to your doctor to make sure there’s no underlying cause, such as an infection.

You can also pop into your local branch of Boots Hearingcare to speak to our audiologists and book a free hearing test. They’ll also be happy to offer you any advice.