How Allergies Can Be the Hidden Cause of Ear Pain, Pressure, and Hearing Loss
Newport News, VA
Ear pain, pressure, and repeated “ear infections” are some of the most common reasons patients visit Dr. Timothy Queen and his experienced team at Advanced ENT & Allergy. While many people, especially parents, assume these symptoms automatically mean an infection, the truth may surprise you.
Many ear infections are actually allergies in disguise.
Understanding this difference can help you (or your child) get the right treatment, and avoid repeated antibiotics or unnecessary frustration.
We see ear infections in both children and adults, not just kids. But here’s what often happens:
• Ear pain or pressure develops
• Hearing feels muffled
• Fluid builds up behind the eardrum
• Antibiotics help temporarily (or not at all)
• Symptoms keep coming back
When this pattern repeats itself, allergies are often the underlying cause.
Inside your ear is a small air-filled space behind the eardrum. For your ear to feel comfortable (and for hearing to work properly) that space must stay equalized with outside air pressure.
That’s the job of the Eustachian tube, a narrow passage that connects the middle ear to the back of the nose.
When it works properly:
• It opens when you swallow, yawn, or chew
• Air flows freely
• Pressure stays balanced
When allergies interfere:
• Nasal swelling blocks the tube
• Air can’t get into the middle ear
• Negative pressure builds
• Fluid accumulates
• Pain, pressure, and hearing loss occur
This fluid doesn’t have to be infected to cause symptoms.
And when fluid sits too long, that’s when infections may develop.
Allergies cause chronic inflammation and mucus buildup. This can:
• Mimic infection symptoms
• Make ear problems persistent
• Reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics
• Lead to repeated or “recurrent” ear infections
If antibiotics haven’t solved the problem after multiple rounds, it’s often a sign that the root issue isn’t bacteria. Rather, it’s inflammation from allergies.
If medication doesn’t resolve ongoing ear pressure, fluid, or hearing loss, ear tubes (also called myringotomy tubes) may be recommended.
What ear tubes do:
• Allow air to enter the middle ear directly
• Bypass a blocked Eustachian tube
• Relieve pressure and fluid buildup
• Improve hearing
What patients should know:
• Tubes are temporary
• Most fall out on their own
• The eardrum usually heals naturally
• Adults may even have tubes placed in the office
• Children typically have a quick outpatient procedure
Ear tubes fix the symptom (blocked air flow), but treating allergies fixes the cause.
Allergy management can:
• Reduce nasal swelling
• Help the Eustachian tube open normally
• Lower the chance of needing repeat tubes
• Improve long-term ear health
In children, enlarged adenoids, which sit near the Eustachian tube, can worsen the problem.
Removing them may:
• Improve nasal breathing
• Reduce infection risk
• Help prevent future ear tube placement
Signs Your “Infection” Might Really Be Allergies
You may want an ENT and allergy evaluation if you or your child experience:
• Recurrent ear infections
• Ongoing ear pressure without fever
• Fluid behind the eardrum lasting months
• Hearing changes that come and go
• Symptoms that improve briefly, then return
Expert ENT & Allergy Care in Newport News, VA
At Advanced ENT & Allergy, we look beyond symptoms to identify why ear problems keep happening. Our goal is not just short-term relief, but long-term solutions that reduce repeat infections, procedures, and medications.
If you or your child have ongoing ear issues, an evaluation could uncover whether allergies (rather than infection) are the real culprit.
Serving Newport News and the surrounding Hampton Roads area
Schedule a consultation today to get answers – and lasting relief.
