Can CPAP use cause hearing loss?

[Pugsy]

Edited out some incorrect information that I posted...screwed up...so sorry. I totally had a brain fart.

You need to see the doctor about your ear concerns. I seriously doubt the machine noise is of the levels that would damage the ears but when it comes to ears and eyes and any questions...see the doctor.

Now if you want to use the available software you can but I would be surprised if it showed anything out of the ordinary with your overall AHI numbers being so low and your overall average total leak numbers being quite low.
Your therapy at least on paper is actually quite decent and I would be extremely surprised if anything out of the usual showed up.
Since your question was related to your ears and not your therapy...unless you are unhappy with your therapy for some reason I don't know how critical it is to look at the software reports except it's always good to have a better understanding of what is going on...you might really have the need to know later for some reason or other.
There is some useful cool stuff in the details from the software that you don't see on the LCD screen.
See this thread for examples. viewtopic/t103468/Need-help-with-screen-shots.html

[jpek]

Now the System One machine doesn't do mask fit in percentage. Instead it does total leak in L/min and yes it is an average but it isn't a % at all. Kinda important.

Thanks for the explanation and the reassurance Pugsy, but my System One does say %. Since the category under which these percentages appear say Large Leak, I assume 38% means that there was a leak 38% of the total time the machine was used?

(I also don't quite understand the L/min formula. Does that mean minutes there was a leak / total minutes used? But like I said, it doesn't look like my System One uses that formula.)

[Pugsy]

Well crap...I would have sworn that my PR System One 760 showed total leak...but I was going on my memory which I guess went to hell with my birthday last week... So sorry...disregard that part of what I said. I should have checked first...my bad. I don't normally use that machine except on trips and I haven't been anywhere in a while and even then I don't rely on the LCD screen as I prefer the software.

Give me a little bit to verify something and I will get back with you.

No...not Leaks per minute but liters per minute.

You probably should go ahead and get SleepyHead....it's good to understand it anyway.
https://sleep.tnet.com/equipment
I could get you Encore Pro if you wished but it's a real bitch to install and use and it's Windows only so if you don't have Windows PC you can't use it unless you put Windows on whatever you use.

Large leak territory on a Respironics machine is upwards of around 90 L/min and if you are spending much time above that line it can seriously affect not only the data that is recorded and the way the machine actually operates.
If it is 38%...that's way too much time in large leak and warrants real concern. We maybe can't help with the ear thing but we can help evaluate the software reports.

Do you have the provider/clinical manual for your machine? Not the one that came with it but the one that the DMEs and doctors use?
If not....go here and request it. Instructions on how to request via email about halfway or so down the page.
http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual

[Pugsy]

Before I forget when/if you download SleepyHead we need to make a little change in something related to SleepyHead's leak calculations or else it may make it seem like they are worse than they are and we need to not guess in your situation.

SleepyHead defaults to a red line leak threshold number for a ResMed machine which is 24 L/min excess leak only.
Your machine doesn't use that 24 L/min as the large leak threshold so the % of time in large leak statistic won't be accurate with your machine. Most of the time this really isn't that big of an issue for most people using Respironics equipment but in your situation it creates a problem. Respironics never gives us a definite "red line threshold" because it can vary so much with pressures and the mask used.
So in your situation I don't even want to give an estimated red line leak number because it might be 90 L/min or it might be 65 L/min...we just don't know.
So either ignore the red line percent of time over large leak threshold or turn that statistic off by going to Preferences/cpap tab and removing the check mark for "flag leaks over threshold".

Large leaks will be flagged on the Events graph...similar to this one of mine which is quite ugly..ResMed machine but the flagging on the Events graph is the same no matter which machine as long as it's the machine doing the flagging.
This was a night with a new mask and it wasn't adjusted well enough and was moving all over the place.
I almost always will hit large leak territory for a short time...this one is highly unusually worse than usual. I did tape my mouth to confirm that it was mask movement leak and not mouth breathing leak.

[palerider]

, I adjust my mask fairly loosely on my face. Often the machine registers a "large leak" for a significant portion of my sleep (38% and 78% are two numbers I remember). But it works well.

you're fooling yourself.

[Goofproof]

XPAP, can cause hearing loss, it allows people with Sleep Apnea to live longer, this gives them more time for their bodies to age and be damaged by age, even hearing loss. No Good comes without a price! I'm willing to pay that price I'm trying to wear out my body as slow as I can. Jim

[Hannibal 2]

XPAP, can cause hearing loss, it allows people with Sleep Apnea to live longer, this gives them more time for their bodies to age and be damaged by age, even hearing loss. No Good comes without a price! I'm willing to pay that price I'm trying to wear out my body as slow as I can. Jim

+1

Also causes eyesight deterioration, hair loss etc etc

[Hannibal 2]

, I adjust my mask fairly loosely on my face. Often the machine registers a "large leak" for a significant portion of my sleep (38% and 78% are two numbers I remember). But it works well.

you're fooling yourself.

+1

You need to tighten that mask.

[jpek]

Okay, I've loaded the data on my card into SleepyHead. What data should I upload and how do I do it?

[palerider]

Okay, I've loaded the data on my card into SleepyHead. What data should I upload and how do I do it?

https://sleep.tnet.com/resources/sleepyhead/shorganize
https://sleep.tnet.com/reference/tips/imgur

[jpek]

Thanks, but that doesn't answer what data I need to upload in this case.

[palerider]

Thanks, but that doesn't answer what data I need to upload in this case.

yes it does. read, and follow, the first link.

[jpek]

As far as I can tell, these instructions are only for one "night's" worth of data (night is in quotes because I actually sleep during the day). I wouldn't know which night to pick as my "nights" seem to be quite variable. Presumably y'all want to see a range? And the suggested charts here don't include anything about AHI.

[Julie]

Read ALL the info and follow ALL the instructions. Do it whether or not it makes sense when reading it - we've all done the same thing with good results.

[jpek]

I have read all the instructions (on that page) and it all looks like data for one day. Am I not getting something here?