menopause and itchy ears
By Lisa Collins | Fact Checked | Sources
Do you know why your ear is so susceptible to itching? It's because this hidden region of the body is rich in nerve endings. Being unable to scratch an itch is really annoying and frustrating, right? If you've had an itchy ear, you know what we're talking about. Let's discover what can cause an itchy ear, especially in menopause, and what you can do about it.
What is an itchy ear?
The ear is much more than the outer part (pinna) that you see on the sides of your head. As sound waves approach the pinna, the vibrations travel down the external auditory canal until they reach the eardrum, which vibrates. The vibrations move to the middle ear, where there are three tiny bones that amplify the sound.
The middle ear is also where the Eustachian tube links the middle ear with the back of the nose. This tube is lined with mucus and helps equalize the pressure in the middle ear. From the middle ear, sound waves travel to the cochlea, the hearing organ. There are also receptors for balance in the ear.
An itchy ear can occur for several reasons besides menopause. One is swimmer's ear, which is a common infection associated with itchiness and ear pain. Another is a fungal infection called otomycosis, which may involve partial hearing loss and tinnitus. The common cold may also cause an itchy ear, and the itchiness may be associated with an inflamed throat. Wax buildup is another known cause.
A few other causes of itchy ear include chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema, as well as allergies like hay fever, food allergies, and reactions to shampoos and conditioners. People who wear hearing aids may experience an itchy ear.
How is an itchy ear associated with menopause?
Estrogen promotes water retention. However, as estrogen levels decline, the mucus membranes in your ear can become drier. This can lead to an itchy ear, earache, hot ears, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears).
Read about menopause and tinnitus
Itchy ear in perimenopause and menopause also can occur because of a lack of earwax (cerumen). This is common during these phases of life and causes the ears to become dry and itchy.
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How to manage itchy ears naturally
Some of the first things you may feel like doing when your ears itch is to stick your fingers, cotton swabs, ear picks, bobby pins, or other similarly-shaped objects into your ear canal. Don't do it! You risk damaging your ear canal or eardrum and pushing any earwax further back into your ear.
Instead, try these natural remedies.
- Dry ear may be relieved by adding a drop of olive oil or baby oil to the ear canal. Not if you have ear pain or discharge, not if you have had ear surgery or grommets, and not if you have any reason to think your eardrum is not intact. You cannot tell from the outside, so if you are unsure, put nothing in and get it checked first.
- If you think wax buildup is the problem, do not try to dissolve it or flush it out at home. Have your ear looked at, so that someone can check the eardrum is intact and clear the wax safely.
- Treat the skin, not the canal. If you get eczema or psoriasis elsewhere, the routine that settles your skin usually settles your ears too. Keep shampoo and conditioner out of the canal, rinse well, and leave the canal alone.
- For itchy ears associated with allergies, quercetin, stinging nettle, or vitamin C supplements may help.
- Omega-3s like our Morphus Omega 3-T are formulated to help support healthy cell membranes and a balanced inflammatory response, which may help with itchy ears too.
A correction we owe you. This page used to tell you to put drops of white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or 70 percent rubbing alcohol into your ear, including when you suspected a bacterial or fungal infection. We have taken all of that out. Nothing should go into an ear that might have a perforated eardrum, and you cannot tell from the outside whether yours is perforated. Alcohol and hydrogen peroxide that reach the middle ear cause severe pain and can damage hearing. This page names otomycosis and partial hearing loss, which are exactly the situations where that matters. If you have been using any of those drops, stop, and if you have pain, discharge or any change in your hearing, get the ear looked at rather than treated at home.
A second correction. This page used to list butterbur for allergy related itching. We have taken it out. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH, 2020) notes that raw butterbur contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids that can damage the liver, the lungs and blood circulation and that may cause cancer, and that some countries have withdrawn butterbur products. It also had no business on a page about itchy ears. If you have been taking it, stop, and mention it to your doctor.
Read about menopause and allergies
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Itchy ears often share the same root cause as dry, itchy skin elsewhere on the body: declining estrogen reduces oil production and moisture in skin and mucous membranes. Morphus's Skin Health collection is formulated to help support skin and membrane moisture through perimenopause and menopause.
Shop Skin Health Support →These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
When to call your doctor
If your itchy ears have become severe or are affecting your daily activities, or you are experiencing other problems such as dizziness or earache along with the itching, contact your doctor. Discharge from the ear, pain, a blocked feeling that does not clear, or any change in your hearing all need looking at rather than waiting out. You may need an examination and, if the eardrum is intact, professional wax removal.
Bottom line
Dry, itchy ear canals are common in perimenopause and menopause. Most of the time this is a skin problem rather than an infection, and it settles by leaving the canal alone, putting nothing in it, and treating the skin. Discharge, pain, a blocked feeling that does not clear, or any change in your hearing is a reason to have the ear looked at, not a reason to wait and see.
