Food allergies often affect the upper respiratory system, including the eyes, ears, nose and throat. If you have a food allergy, you may experience itching in or around your ears as a result of nasal congestion, an allergic skin rash or general irritation. The American Academy of Otolaryngology states that food allergies are one of the most common causes of ear infections in children under the age of two. If your child experiences an allergic reaction and begins to scratch or pull on her ears, talk with her doctor about prevention and treatment.
Food Allergy Cause
Most food allergies are triggered by wheat, soy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish and milk products. Your immune system defends your body from exposure to potentially harmful substances, such as viruses and toxins. When you eat a food you're allergic to, your immune system reacts as if it was under attack, although the food is safe for consumption. Your immune system identifies the proteins in the specific food incorrectly, unleashing an attack of antibodies and histamine. These chemicals cause allergy symptoms.
Itchy Ears
Histamine is the primary chemical in the body that causes itching and irritation in soft tissue. When immunoglobulin E, or IgE, antibodies are created, mast cells respond by producing histamine. Histamine helps defend the body against infection but can cause inflammation, swelling and irritation in soft tissue. As histamine levels increase in and around the ears, your skin can become itchy, swollen and red.
Allergic Skin Reactions
Allergic skin conditions that often form as a result of a food allergy are eczema and hives. These two skin reactions can form anywhere on the body, including the ears. Hives appear as welts accompanied by swelling, with a flat surface. Eczema forms as small blisters that grow and fill with fluid. They can crack, weep and crust over. Both allergic skin conditions are extremely itchy. They are harmless, unless they form within the ear. If hives form in the ear, your ear drum can burst, causing greater complications. Any skin rash around the ears needs to be evaluated by your doctor.
Nasal Congestion
Nasal congestion causes the sinuses to swell, placing pressure on the surrounding areas of the head, including the ears. An ear itch that results from nasal congestion will be felt in the inner ear and is difficult to scratch. If the ear itching is from nasal congestion, you may also develop ear pain, sinus pressure and postnasal drip.
