Does Your Child Keep Getting Ear Infections? Check for Allergies

Allergies and Ear Pain

Recurrent ear infections and persistent fluid behind the eardrum may sometimes have an overlooked contributor: allergies. Research in 1981 found that in 119 patients with a history of otitis media in the previous six months, and fluid present in the ear, 93.3% had allergies that were verified by positive RAST tests. The one-year success rate for the patients tested and treated for allergy was 91.6%. This success rate was much better than the 52.2% success rate enjoyed by a group of patients treated surgically. Other research in 1996 found that in a sampling of 103 patients with either otitis media, fluid effusion, or both 89% had allergy.

Recent Research Supports the Allergy Connection to Otitis Media

A 2007 study provides particularly interesting evidence because the researchers did more than simply look for allergies in patients with middle-ear problems. They studied 69 adults with chronic or recurrent secretory otitis media and deliberately challenged them with nasal allergens while measuring middle-ear pressure. Fifty-four patients had positive nasal allergic responses, and 117 of 129 positive responses were accompanied by significant changes in middle-ear pressure. In allergic controls without a history of middle-ear disease, the researchers did not find significant middle-ear pressure changes. The authors concluded that nasal allergy may contribute to chronic secretory otitis media in some patients.

More recent research continues to find a connection. A 2023 study of 126 children and adolescents with allergic rhinitis found middle-ear dysfunction in 49.2%. Eustachian tube dysfunction was the most common problem. The authors noted that allergic inflammation and nasal congestion can interfere with Eustachian tube function, contributing to abnormal middle-ear pressure and fluid accumulation.

Want an easy way to deal with the pain? Click and read this.