The appearance of itching in the throat and in the ears indicates the presence of a pathological process. It may be temporary and may be caused by exposure to an organism of a stimulus of various nature. In addition, the symptom may indicate infection of the body with the causative agent of a disease. The ear, throat and nose are closely related, so the pathological process in one of the organs can affect the others.
Causes of itching
Itching in the throat and in the ears is a symptom that causes a lot of inconvenience to a person, as well as causing a feeling of discomfort. In addition, a constant feeling of perspiration and itching can irritate the patient's psycho-emotional state. In some cases, the ears begin to itch after getting into them with water or a foreign body. Sometimes the symptom spreads to the throat, provoking perspiration.
In addition, the cause of itching in the throat and ears can be damage to the ear canal during hygiene procedures. In this case, the symptom is transient and does not require specific treatment.
The situation is much worse if itching in the throat and ears is simultaneously caused by the following pathological processes.
Allergic reaction
Itching in this case is provoked by the influence of external factors that are incorrectly perceived by the body. The ears are also affected, but the throat suffers much more. This condition is dangerous, because as a result of a pronounced allergic reaction, laryngeal edema may develop, which will lead to suffocation and oxygen starvation. What are other causes of itching in the throat and ears?
Infections of a viral and bacterial nature
In this case, we are talking about diseases of the flu or colds. Angina quite often causes itching in the throat. Pathogens that enter the body due to the lack of appropriate treatment are distributed throughout all ENT organs, leading to pathological complications.
Fungal infection
When an infection of the mycotic type enters the body, the affected area begins to itch and becomes covered with a specific plaque. The fungus can infect any kind of tissue, and also spread through the bloodstream or along the surface of internal organs. The treatment of the fungus is rather difficult.
Dryness
A deficient moisture level, dehydration and a lack of sulfur secretion in the ear cause cracking and peeling of epithelial tissues, which can cause itching. A similar process occurs in the throat. Often, against the background of such changes, a cough arises, which exacerbates the patient's condition, leading to tears and microcracks. Why else can itching in the ears and sore throat be felt?
Runny nose
The mucus arising in the nose passes into the throat, and under certain circumstances can penetrate the ears. This substance is the causative agent of infectious diseases. In addition, mucus from the nose irritates the mucous membrane, causing itching and soreness in the ears and throat.
Damage to soft tissues against the background of irritating effects leads to additional discomfort. With a sore throat, a cough often appears. A person has to make an effort during coughing, which injures the mucous membrane even more. Microtrauma healing also causes itching, and the situation repeats.
Symptoms of pathologies
To diagnose the correct cause of itching in the throat and ears, it is important to identify all the associated symptoms. To this end, the doctor collects a detailed history, and also prescribes a series of examinations, the results of which will help determine the cause of the pathological itch and prescribe the correct treatment. Each disease has a number of specific symptoms:
- An allergic reaction is accompanied by severe sore throat, swelling of the tissues, coughing, lacrimation, shortness of breath, sneezing, and impaired olfactory perception.
- With an infectious lesion of the body, the symptoms will be as follows: fever against the background of an increase in body temperature, tinnitus, runny nose, specific mucous discharge, enlarged lymph nodes and tonsils. In addition, infection can cause sore throat and itching in the inflamed ear tissues.
- Fungal damage is accompanied by the appearance of plaque and liquid secretions, sour smell, severe itching and peeling, as well as an increase in body temperature and a deterioration in the general condition of the patient. It happens that itching in the throat also gives in the ear - this is very unpleasant.
- Dehydration is characterized by symptoms such as dryness and peeling of the surface of the skin and mucous membranes, intense thirst and the absence of other specific symptoms inherent in the above pathologies.
To diagnose the cause of severe itching in the throat and ears, you must consult a doctor. The specialist will conduct a physical examination, prescribe an examination for the presence of infectious processes and select the correct therapeutic regimen. Self-medication in this case is unacceptable, as it can lead to the development of complications. The treatment of each pathology requires its own approach and the selection of appropriate medications.
How is itching in the throat and ears treated
To get rid of itching in the ears or throat, it is necessary to treat the cause of the unpleasant symptom. The effectiveness of the treatment will depend on the correct diagnosis:
- Allergic reaction. If this pathology is detected, antihistamines are prescribed. They relieve irritation of the mucous membranes, thereby eliminating the body's reaction to the allergen, which helps to relieve itching at least for a while. To prevent a relapse of an allergic reaction, it is necessary to determine the allergen and try to exclude it from everyday life.
- In infectious lesions, unpleasant sensations are caused by the action of a pathogenic pathogen. An important point in the diagnosis is the appearance of concomitant symptoms characteristic of the infection. The treatment is carried out by taking anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs in the form of sprays and syrups, which relieve itching in the throat and eliminate perspiration, stimulating the process of sputum discharge. To cure otitis media, you will need to dig in special drops for the ears. If the disease is severe, prescribe antibiotics and antiviral drugs. Most often, at least five days are required to eliminate the focus of infection.
- Defeat of the ears with a fungus. This pathology often causes itching, its treatment is quite long and difficult. This situation is due to the high degree of resistance of some fungal pathogens to existing antibiotics. To select the right drug, special tests are performed.
- Frequent runny nose also requires special attention. To prevent the spread of infection to other ENT organs, including the throat and ears, it is necessary to regularly carry out sanitation with antiseptic solutions. Another important point of treatment is the ability to properly clean the nose of accumulated mucus.
Doctors recommend avoiding liquid in the middle ear, as this can cause otitis media. If there is no pain, but the patient feels discomfort, it is recommended to saturate the body with water and organize the microclimate of the room, increasing humidity. This will save from overdrying and, accordingly, itching in the throat. It is also recommended that you consume enough water to help prevent dehydration.
As a preventive measure, it is necessary to regularly conduct hygiene of the ears and throat, as well as strengthen the protective properties of the body. Cold symptoms are recommended to be treated immediately, without delaying or delaying. Allergy sufferers should take antihistamines in advance during seasonal reactions of the body, without waiting for an attack.
Reviews about this pathology
Quite often, patients do not pay attention to such a specific symptom as itching between the ear and throat. However, such a sign is a harbinger of the beginning of the pathological process and requires urgent measures.
Many face the problem of itching in the ears against the background of colds. This is a transient condition that is independently eliminated during the treatment of the pathology that caused it. Many allergy sufferers also complain of itching in the ears and throat. Such antihistamines as Zirtek, Zodak and Fenistil come to their aid. Many people prefer a time-tested medicine - Suprastin.
Quite a lot of reviews that talk about preventive measures, including those from the category of folk recipes. Some strengthen the immune system with the help of various mixtures of dried fruits and honey, while others take special vitamin complexes. However, everyone notes that amid increased immunity, relapses of diseases accompanied by itching in the ears and throat become noticeably smaller.
Thus, the correct diagnosis is the basis of any effective therapy. The specialist should be entrusted with identifying the cause of the pathology, as well as the appointment of the correct treatment aimed at eliminating the disease, and not just the symptoms.