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Hearing clinics in Chicago have said that the late snowfalls and wet April and May months have exacerbated allergies locally to the point where many more people than normal have reported seasonal hearing problems. Excess moisture and high pollen levels have conspired in allergic patients to produce not only problems in the eyes and nose, but also an accumulation of fluid and wax in the inner ear, causing inflammation of the middle ear, cutting off the Eustachian tubes and reducing the ability to hear properly. Dr Michael Jones of the Hearing Health Center (HHC) says most patients report symmetrical hearing loss, and a tympanogram typically shows reduced mobility of the tympanic membrane. When the allergies subside, so too does the hearing loss. Source: Hearing Health Center Click here for more miscellaneous respiratory research First Published in June 2011 |
