Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsRisk FactorsRelated IssuesAllergy SymptomsTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Risk Factors
Related Issues
Allergy Symptoms
Treatment
Yourallergiescan causetinnitus, a condition commonly called “ringing in the ears.” This symptom can cause sounds (even buzzing or hissing) that range from loud to soft or high-pitched to low.
Along with allergy-relatedsneezingandrhinitis(runny nose), tinnitus symptoms can occur when you develop anear infectionor your allergy symptoms affect the function ofeustachian tubesthat connect the middle ear to your nose and throat passages.
This article explains the risk factors that can lead to allergy-related tinnitus, its symptoms, and how the condition is treated.
Risk Factors for Allergy-Induced Tinnitus
Several allergy-related conditions can increase your risk of developing tinnitus, including:
Allergies also can increase the production ofearwax, which can cause clogged ears and lead to tinnitus.
Tinnitus StatisticsTinnitus is one of the most common medical conditions in the United States, affecting about 10% of people, some with a rare debilitating condition. It often occurs in older people, along with age-related hearing loss, but there are some 200 health issues (includingnasal congestionand sinus pressure) that can cause tinnitus symptoms.
Tinnitus Statistics
Tinnitus is one of the most common medical conditions in the United States, affecting about 10% of people, some with a rare debilitating condition. It often occurs in older people, along with age-related hearing loss, but there are some 200 health issues (includingnasal congestionand sinus pressure) that can cause tinnitus symptoms.
Understanding the Two Types of Tinnitus
Other Allergy-Related Ear and Hearing Issues
Tinnitus isn’t the only side effect of allergies that can affect your ears and hearing. With the inflammation of allergies, mucus production can increase and block the eustachian tubes.
Inflammation and fluid buildup can muffle sounds, as though you’re listening to someone speak while underwater. This condition, called conductive hearing loss, occurs when sound waves cannot travel effectively to your middle ear.
Eustachian tube dysfunction occurring with allergies can also cause:
Severe eustachian tube dysfunction can contribute to conditions including tympanic membrane perforation (ruptured eardrum), andcholesteatoma, a noncancerous growth in the ear.
Is Tinnitus a COVID Vaccine Side Effect?
Other Common Allergy Symptoms
People who experience allergy-related tinnitus are likely to experience nasal congestion and other more common allergy symptoms, too. These symptoms can include:
Allergy symptoms can affect over 100 million people in the United States each year. In 2021, hay fever alone affected 26% of all U.S. adults and 19% of children.
Causes of Tinnitus That People Often Miss
Medications
Antihistamine options to help tinnitus symptoms go away can include:
Decongestants constrict blood vessels in the nose, which can reduce mucus buildup in your nasal passages and sinuses. There’s also some evidence of benefit with corticosteroid nasal sprays (fluticasone propionate) treatment, but studies have delivered mixed results on symptom relief.
Medications are not usually effective in treating tinnitus unrelated to allergy. Benzodiazepines may improve the quality of life in a subset of people with more bothersome tinnitus. If people have cochlear disease, intratympanic medication like dexamethasone may have some benefit.
Nasal Irrigation
Rinsing your nasal passages and sinuses with a distilled water and salt solution can reduce excess mucus that is contributing to your tinnitus and wash out bacteria that could potentially lead to infection. It may improve congestion and eustachian tube dysfunction symptoms.
Nasal irrigation can be performed with a container called aneti pot.
How Does Nasal Irrigation Work?
Medical Specialist Care
Treating your allergies might require a visit to the doctor. A specialist, called an allergist, can perform tests to help determine what you are allergic to.In some cases, you might be able to avoid allergy symptoms altogether, once you know what the allergen is.
Severe allergies might require prescription medications or allergy shots. You might also see anotolaryngologist, or ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor, to help treat tinnitus.
How a RAST Test Diagnoses Allergies
Hearing Assistance Aids
Using devices that improve your ability to hear external sounds can sometimes improve your hearing if you have tinnitus.While they don’t decrease the ringing in your ears, they do help cover it up.
These devices can includehearing aidsandcochlear implants. However, tinnitus from allergies would not likely require this level of treatment unless there are underlying hearing issues.
Causes of Eustachian Tube Pain and Treatment Options
Summary
Tinnitus can be an allergy-related symptom, along with sinus congestion, sneezing, and other symptoms. It may be due to mucus production that increases pressure in the ear or to eustachian tube dysfunction. Stress may contribute to your allergy-related symptoms, too.
Treatment options include over-the-counter allergy medications, such as antihistamines. Nasal irrigation may improve symptoms. Talk to your healthcare provider if these drugs and home remedies are not relieving allergy-related tinnitus.
In some cases, you may need to see a specialist for allergy testing, prescription medication, and other treatment options if your allergy-related tinnitus does not improve.
Natural Remedies for Tinnitus
14 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Tinnitus.American Tinnitus Association.Tinnitus causes.American Tinnitus Association.Demographics.Yu X, Zhang H, Zong S, Xiao H.Allergy in pathogenesis of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.World Allergy Organ J. 2024 Jan 5;17(1):100860. doi:10.1016/j.waojou.2023.100860.American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Conductive hearing loss.Juszczak HM, Loftus PA.Role of Allergy in Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2020 Jul 9;20(10):54. doi: 10.1007/s11882-020-00951-3.American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Allergy symptoms.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Allergy facts and figures.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Allergy treatment.Kim SH, Kim D, Lee JM, Lee SK, Kang HJ, Yeo SG.Review of pharmacotherapy for tinnitus.Healthcare (Basel). 2021;9(6):779. doi: 10.3390/healthcare9060779.Schröder S, Ebmeyer J.Diagnosis and treatment of Eustachian tube dysfunction.HNO. 2018 Feb;66(2):155-166. German. doi: 10.1007/s00106-017-0465-2.American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Allergy testing.American Tinnitus Association.Hearing aids.Harvard Health Publishing.Is stress making your allergy symptoms worse?
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Tinnitus.American Tinnitus Association.Tinnitus causes.American Tinnitus Association.Demographics.Yu X, Zhang H, Zong S, Xiao H.Allergy in pathogenesis of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.World Allergy Organ J. 2024 Jan 5;17(1):100860. doi:10.1016/j.waojou.2023.100860.American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Conductive hearing loss.Juszczak HM, Loftus PA.Role of Allergy in Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2020 Jul 9;20(10):54. doi: 10.1007/s11882-020-00951-3.American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Allergy symptoms.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Allergy facts and figures.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Allergy treatment.Kim SH, Kim D, Lee JM, Lee SK, Kang HJ, Yeo SG.Review of pharmacotherapy for tinnitus.Healthcare (Basel). 2021;9(6):779. doi: 10.3390/healthcare9060779.Schröder S, Ebmeyer J.Diagnosis and treatment of Eustachian tube dysfunction.HNO. 2018 Feb;66(2):155-166. German. doi: 10.1007/s00106-017-0465-2.American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Allergy testing.American Tinnitus Association.Hearing aids.Harvard Health Publishing.Is stress making your allergy symptoms worse?
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Tinnitus.American Tinnitus Association.Tinnitus causes.American Tinnitus Association.Demographics.Yu X, Zhang H, Zong S, Xiao H.Allergy in pathogenesis of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.World Allergy Organ J. 2024 Jan 5;17(1):100860. doi:10.1016/j.waojou.2023.100860.American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Conductive hearing loss.Juszczak HM, Loftus PA.Role of Allergy in Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2020 Jul 9;20(10):54. doi: 10.1007/s11882-020-00951-3.American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Allergy symptoms.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Allergy facts and figures.Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Allergy treatment.Kim SH, Kim D, Lee JM, Lee SK, Kang HJ, Yeo SG.Review of pharmacotherapy for tinnitus.Healthcare (Basel). 2021;9(6):779. doi: 10.3390/healthcare9060779.Schröder S, Ebmeyer J.Diagnosis and treatment of Eustachian tube dysfunction.HNO. 2018 Feb;66(2):155-166. German. doi: 10.1007/s00106-017-0465-2.American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Allergy testing.American Tinnitus Association.Hearing aids.Harvard Health Publishing.Is stress making your allergy symptoms worse?
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.Tinnitus.
American Tinnitus Association.Tinnitus causes.
American Tinnitus Association.Demographics.
Yu X, Zhang H, Zong S, Xiao H.Allergy in pathogenesis of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.World Allergy Organ J. 2024 Jan 5;17(1):100860. doi:10.1016/j.waojou.2023.100860.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.Conductive hearing loss.
Juszczak HM, Loftus PA.Role of Allergy in Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2020 Jul 9;20(10):54. doi: 10.1007/s11882-020-00951-3.
American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Allergy symptoms.
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Allergy facts and figures.
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.Allergy treatment.
Kim SH, Kim D, Lee JM, Lee SK, Kang HJ, Yeo SG.Review of pharmacotherapy for tinnitus.Healthcare (Basel). 2021;9(6):779. doi: 10.3390/healthcare9060779.
Schröder S, Ebmeyer J.Diagnosis and treatment of Eustachian tube dysfunction.HNO. 2018 Feb;66(2):155-166. German. doi: 10.1007/s00106-017-0465-2.
American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Allergy testing.
American Tinnitus Association.Hearing aids.
Harvard Health Publishing.Is stress making your allergy symptoms worse?
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