For five-plus years now I have had chronically itchy ears that have been driving me crazy. All the prescription remedies included low-dose hydrocortisone as well as steroids. I have had moderate success with some natural remedies. Two weeks into taking high-dose fish oil, my itchy ears have literally “gone away”. It has been a month now - and going well.
Dr. Sears comments on what happened: The itching is usually caused by an overproduction of leukotrienes derived from arachidonic acid (bad leukotrienes). These leukotrienes are the same ones that cause the bronchial-constriction of asthma and itching skin associated with psoriasis and eczema. The high-dose fish oil not only dilutes out the arachidonic acid, thus reducing the formation of arachidonic acid induced leukotrienes, but also supplies the EPA to make other leukotrienes (good leukotrienes) that have the opposite effect of the arachidonic-acid induced leukotrienes. The steroids can only block the formation of all leukotrienes (good and bad) thus explaining why they were not as successful as the high-dose fish oil.