Do Allergies Impact Your Hearing?

Nasal allergies can be quite a nuisance. You may sneeze, have itchy, watery eyes, notice a sore throat, or even contend with ear problems. This is because your ears, nose, and throat are all interrelated, and allergies can trigger problems in all of these areas. Let Dr. Jason Acevedo of West Texas Ear, Nose, & Throat in Abilene, TX explain how allergies can impact your hearing.

General Information About Allergies and Hearing

When you breathe in an allergen, such as tree pollen or whatever it is you're allergic to, your body's immune system recognizes it as an invader. As a result, a number of reactions happen to try to rid your body of this substance. For instance, your nose will become runny as a mechanism to get the allergens out of this area. This happens from histamine.

As your body releases histamine, you may notice your eyes becoming red and itchy. The histamine may also trigger ear-related symptoms, such as a fullness in your ears. Your ears may pop. This comes from fluid, produced by the release of histamine, entering the Eustachian tubes. Sometimes, it's severe enough that it interferes with your hearing. It may be hard to hear, especially clearly. For some people, it causes everything to have a muffled sound.

In the more severe cases, the mucus will block the tubes completely and cause an ear infection. That ear infection has the potential to interfere with a person's hearing.

Treatment

Dr. Acevedo will need to diagnose the underlying condition that's causing your ear-related issues. If allergies are the culprit, our practitioner will need to help you better manage your condition. This may consist of our practitioner prescribing an allergy medication, specifically an antihistamine. It'll need to be taken as necessary or every day, depending on your allergies and their severity.

Sometimes, our practitioner will recommend you practice avoidance so you can reduce or eliminate your exposure to the source of the problem. This will require you to know the source of the allergy or allergies if you have multiple allergies. To determine this, you can monitor the pollen counts and when you experience symptoms or have an allergy test conducted to see what you react to.

If you should happen to develop an infection, you may need antibiotics to resolve the problem. In the more serious cases, a surgical procedure may be necessary to drain the tubes.

If you have allergies that are interfering with your hearing or are bothersome in general, Dr. Acevedo of West Texas Ear, Nose, & Throat in Abilene, TX can assist.

You may reach us at (325) 793-5165 for an appointment for allergies today.

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