We have all experienced an occasional itchy ears and throat every now and then. Some are more pleasant than others. One of the most unpleasant itches anyone could ever experience is those that affect the ears and the throat at the same time.

While Itchy ears and throat pose little to no health challenges alone, whenever they occur together and with certain accompanying symptoms, chances are that these might imply that they are often pointers to more serious conditions.

Itchy Ears and Throat: The Nigerian Factor

Considering Nigeria, quite a number of elements contribute to this upsetting situation. The dusty terrain is an issue which helps the spread of allergens, bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Worse still, some foods consumed in Nigeria trigger allergies leading to this health issue.

Causes of Itchy Ears and Throat

Here are some common causes of itchy ears and throat and their accompanying symptoms.

1. Allergic Rhinitis (AR)

Also known as hay fever, AR originates from the reaction of your immune system to a constituent of the environment. Causative material may not necessarily be harmful but its introduction into your nasal system is irritating.

External substances which may cause AR are fungus, dust lice, pollen, perfume smoke, etc. reactions of this nature leads to the production of chemicals which induces allergy symptoms. Additional symptoms of AR are itchy eyes, sneezing, coughing, fatigue, etc.

2. Food Allergies

Food allergies occur when the immune system becomes defensively hyperactive after the digestive system is exposed to food it’s configuration identifies as harmful. Estimates show that about 10% of the world population has food allergies. Examples of common food allergy symptoms are diarrhea, hives, vomiting, Stomach cramps, etc.

Food allergies have a varying degree of seriousness, it could be mild and some could be deadly. An example of a life-threatening food allergy is anaphylaxis. Some of its symptoms are swallowing difficulty, dizziness, fainting, gasping and rapid heartbeat.

Food allergies have been discovered to be concentrated in a few foods, making it easily avoidable. Examples are peanuts, cow milk, tree nuts, eggs, wheat, soy.  Also, some fruits and vegetables are capable of inducing a reaction as they contain a protein similar to that which is found in pollen allergy. This reaction is called Oral Allergy Syndrome.

Examples are apples, carrots, cherries, banana, pears, plum, tomatoes, etc. Apart from itchy ears, symptoms of oral allergy syndrome are an itchy mouth, Scratchy throat, Swollen tongue, mouth, and throat.

As kids grow older, they cope better with some allergies and outgrow them with time.  However, some allergies remain a challenge even till old age. Records have shown that children do outgrow an allergy to foods like eggs, cow’s milk, soya bean. On the other hand, food allergies like peanuts and tree nuts do stick around for a lifetime.

3. Drug Allergies

Admittedly, there is hardly a drug with no side effect, but there is a difference between an allergy and a side effect. All allergies are side effects but not all side effects are allergies. As implied earlier, the identifying mark of an allergy is that it involves your immune system.

Drug allergies take place when your immune system treats a medicine introduced to it the way it is supposed to treat germs. The timing of drug allergy reactions ranges from few hours to few days after taking the drugs. Some symptoms of drug allergy are skin rash, hives, swelling, panting, itching.

4. Common Cold

As the name implies, it is not a strange occurrence. It has left many adults sneezing and coughing over a couple of times within a calendar year. Numerous viruses are responsible for the common cold. Its spread, on the other hand, is caused by contact with droplets from sneezing and coughing of infected individuals.

By virtue of a relatively favorable climate, the Nigerian cold isn’t life-threatening. However, it could be frustrating. Its accompanying symptoms will bring great discomfort to you. Some of them are sore throat, cough, body ache, sneezing, headache, etc.

5. OTITIS EXTERNA

Otitis externa is the inflammation and swelling of the passage of the outer ear. Otitis externa is also known as swimmer’s ear. There are many factors that contribute to otitis externa, among them is water being trapped in the ears.

This condition is common among people who swim though it can affect any other person. Otitis externa is usually accompanied by symptoms such as itchiness of the ear canal, ear discharge, and pain.

How to Treat Itchy Ears and Throat

Successfully tackling itchy ears and sore throat requires that you resolve the causes. The symptom of each cause has discoursed. Here are treatment tips in line with causes.

Treating food allergies

• If you discover that you are allergic to a particular food, see an allergist.
• After identifying the food, stay as far away as you can from it

 Treating Drug Allergies

• Inform your doctor if discover that you have any drug allergy.
• Seek medical help with respect to evident symptoms.

Treating common cold

• Frequently do steam inhalation with a drop of eucalyptus oil to relieve congestion
• Liberal intake of fluid, fruits and vegetables
• Nasal sprays and inhalers will make you feel better.
• Use of antihistamines to relieve symptoms
• Most common colds are viral so it will run its course

Treating otitis externa

The treatment of this condition can involve the use of either injectable or oral antibiotics, which are good in relieving the pain. Hydrocortisone containing antibacterial and antifungal agents can also be used to reduce the inner ear infection.

Tackle Itchy Ears and Throat with Ease Today

Given the symptoms, determining the cause of itchy ears and throat may be confusing at times.

This is where you need experienced doctors to examine you and see what exactly is wrong with you. Going to the hospital might be overly expensive and you might be prescribed medications you don’t need.

This is where Health Connect 24×7 comes in. With Health Connect, you can speak to a highly qualified doctor from the comfort of your home, or office. All you need is to download our mobile app to get started.