Seasonal allergies usually come once every year and cause many different symptoms. Your nose is itchy and red, your eyes are tearing up, and your ears feel full. But do allergies cause hearing loss? According to health experts, the answer is yes.
Why Do Allergies Cause Hearing Loss?
When you’re sick, your body turns on its defense mechanisms. In this case, it creates antibodies that produce histamines. These chemicals send signals to your body that cause it to produce mucus. Furthermore, they’re also the reason why you need to sneeze so much.
Now, all this mucus clogs up your body in a way. As such, it creates an obstacle between your ear and the middle ear. Because of this, sound waves can’t travel fast enough, and you will often notice some degree of hearing loss. So, yes, allergies cause hearing loss. Luckily, it’s only temporary.
What Can You Do?
If the hearing loss coincides with an allergic reaction, you have to sit and wait. Treat the symptoms of the allergy as much as you can. But don’t attempt to clean your ears with cotton swabs! This can cause a lot of pain and complicate matters even further. If the pressure in your ears becomes unbearable, try washing them gently with a cloth soaked in warm water.
If your problem with hearing persists after the allergy is gone, you need to talk to your doctor. Chances are it’s nothing too serious, but you may still need some form of treatment. The sooner you do it, the more likely it is that your problems will go away quickly.
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Can allergies cause hearing loss? URL link. Accessed 11th November 2017.
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