Can you get an ear infection from the flu?

Answer 1

Mild and minor infections may not prevent your getting a vaccination; however, if you have a fever, then you should postpone until the fever is gone. Tell the clinician before the flu vaccination that you recently had or still have the infection, but that you have no fever (they will ask).

Answer 2

Yes, air pressure from flying already puts a strain on your ears and with the added congestion, it will surely have an effect. You will probably feel some pain or un-comfortableness in your ears.

Answer 3

It would be an extremely rare situation if it did.

A temporary change in hearing might occur from having the flu, especially if there is a lot of nasal and sinus congestion. It would likely be more of a muffling of the sound rather than total deafness, however, and perhaps only one-sided (but it couldoccur bilaterally). In this example situation, the reduced hearing would be caused by fluid trapped in the Eustachian tube due to tube swelling caused by the inflammation in the upper respiratory system, and could be complicated by thickened secretions from the nose and sinuses, due to the influenza infection. You might also hear popping sounds, especially when you swallow, until the tubes get back to normal.

This can cause a middle ear infection and, if those go untreated or are improperly treated over a long term, then hearing loss can't be totally ruled out as a possible effect of the disease. Everyone has an individual response to diseases and you can never say never; so it is possible, but not probable.

If it lingers more than a few days, it would be wise to contact your health care professional to find out if you should have an examination. Don't wait to get care if you have pain, drainage from your ears or bleeding. Get immediate care if there is total hearing loss instead of muffling.

Answer 4

In a normal healthy ear it is highly unlikely. If the ear has any open areas in the skin or deeper in the ear canal, and/or eardrum puncture, there is perhaps a really small chance, but it would more likely be introduced in those situations first through a different natural orifice. Flu viruses enter the body usually through natural openings that are lined with mucous tissue, such as the mouth, nose and eyes.

Answer 5

Yes. Influenza, or the 'flu, may manifest as a virus that affects theear-nose-throat system, or an infection of this system, so anything that affects the nose and respiratory system has the potential to affect the ears as well. Colds and flu can lead to a blocked Eustacian tube and/or cause an inner ear infection, and children are particularly prone to this.

Answer 6

Tonsillitis can affect your ears by transmitting the infection or inflammation to the surrounding tissues. This can limit hearing and cause additional pain in this area.