How Seasonal Allergies Can Impact Your Hearing and Balance

If you experience seasonal allergies, you may be surprised to learn that this can cause more than just itchy, watery eyes and a runny nose. In fact, you might have trouble with your hearing and balance. Here’s what you need to know about how seasonal allergies can impact hearing and balance and what to do if you experience these issues.

The Connection Between Allergies, Hearing, and Balance

Seasonal allergies occur when pollen or other allergens in the environment cause an immune response in your body. Your immune system responds by releasing histamine, resulting in symptoms that include a runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes, and congestion.

Inflammation and mucus buildup in the ears can also occur from seasonal allergies, leading to additional symptoms as well. These include:

• A feeling of pressure and fullness in the ears
• Muffled hearing or tinnitus
• Blocked Eustachian tubes
• Conductive hearing loss
• Ear infections
• Allergy-related dizziness

Your ears are responsible not just for your ability to hear, but also for much of your balance. When seasonal allergies impact your middle or inner ear, it can result in a variety of hearing and balance issues.

What to Do if Seasonal Allergies Impact Your Hearing and Balance

If you’re experiencing hearing and balance issues related to seasonal allergies, there are a variety of steps you can take to help address your symptoms. These include:

• Taking antihistamines or nasal decongestants to help alleviate your allergies and reduce the inflammation that’s impacting your ears
• Staying well hydrated to help thin out mucus to help alleviate pressure on the Eustachian tubes
• Avoiding exposure to allergens as much as possible and using an air purifier inside your home

For milder cases of seasonal allergies, these steps may be enough to reduce your symptoms and help get you through the current allergy season. However, if your hearing and balance issues are persistent or impacting your day-to-day routines, it may be time to consult with a professional.

Get Evaluated by an Experienced Audiologist

If you’re experiencing hearing and balance problems related to seasonal allergies, you can seek treatment from an audiologist. This type of healthcare professional is trained in evaluating a variety of ear issues that can impact your hearing and balance, including seasonal allergies. Your audiologist can help diagnose your hearing loss or balance problems and determine the best treatment plan to mitigate your symptoms.

Turn to Autumn Oak Speech, Voice, and Hearing

If you’re in the Friendswood, Texas, area and are looking for treatment for hearing and balance issues that are related to seasonal allergies, turn to Autumn Oak Speech, Voice, and Hearing. We offer a wide range of audiology services designed to treat various hearing loss and balance issues. You can rely on our dedicated team to help assess your needs and develop a treatment plan to address your symptoms.

Contact Autumn Oak Speech, Voice, and Hearing today to learn more about our treatment services for hearing and balance issues or to schedule an appointment at our Friendswood, TX, clinic.