Ear Problems after CPAP trail - How to Recover?

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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Pugsy
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Re: Ear Problems after CPAP trail - How to Recover?

Post by Pugsy » Wed Jul 13, 2011 9:28 am

Guest wrote: Pugsy wrote: If she has only been seeing an MD


An ENT is an MD. Do you perhaps mean "if she has only been seeing a primary care MD"? ENTs are doctors (MD), and PCPs are doctors (MD). They just have different specialtie
Huh?

I looked back and I never wrote that.. Please don't put words in my mouth.

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treehouse24ca
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Re: Ear Problems after CPAP trail - How to Recover?

Post by treehouse24ca » Mon Dec 26, 2011 9:34 am

I was on a cpap for testing for less than a month. when i purchased my machine i complained the pressures were too high and cause my ears to hurt and mask to leak. because of my test results they set the pressures even higher with the min. ramp pressure to 16. I was told i would get use to the high pressure and it would take some time. after a month i began having discharge from one ear, I went to the hospital and had it cleaned and was given some very strong antibiotics , after they ran out the problem worsened . seeing another doctor he confirmed my ear drum had broken and the infection was a result of the pressure causing the irritation of the Eustasianun tube in the ear, inflamed and it would be unable to heal. my hearing on that side is all but gone. I have been waiting for over 1 1/2 months to try and see a ears nose and throat specialist to see if any repairs can be done or what can be done to get my hearing back. the doctor said i will never be able to use this machine again. I found the machine aided my sleep but also made me very dependent on it in a short time. now that i have been off it for awhile my sleep has returned normal. I warn you to be cautious of using high pressure as you may as well have a weak ear drum. i am with out answers on where to go from here. i wish i had never tried the cpap machine because of the hearing lost. I was never warned that this could be a side effect.
i was also informed that bacterial like warm moist air as supplied by your heated humidifier. so if your hose, mask and machine are not cleaned every day infections are possible even pneumonia can increase with machine use. keeping my machine clean was no prevention, After reading (Google)a lot post of other people having hearing lost some dating as far back as 1997 from the use of a cpap machine has me worried

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chunkyfrog
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Re: Ear Problems after CPAP trail - How to Recover?

Post by chunkyfrog » Mon Dec 26, 2011 1:45 pm

I suspect that this might be possible; but extremely unusual, if not rare.
Weakness which would allow these problems might go along with other health problems,
of which most doctors should already be aware; and treating.
Definitely see an ENT; and don't let them kiss you off.

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Not Happy

Re: Ear Problems after CPAP trail - How to Recover?

Post by Not Happy » Mon Apr 22, 2013 6:49 pm

I used the CPAP about ten times and I was given six different types of full masks and nose only masks. Since the full masks I have noticed when wearing them that my ears felt pressure and then popped or equaled the pressure. Now I have ringing in my ears that does not stop. Is this a common side effect not told to me by the Doctor if used or possible side effect?

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archangle
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Re: Ear Problems after CPAP trail - How to Recover?

Post by archangle » Tue Apr 23, 2013 8:13 pm

If you can learn to use it without the nose plugs, an Oracle oral mask should prevent CPAP from putting pressure in your ears. It will only put pressure in your mouth and throat, not in your nasal cavity where your Eustachian tube connect to your ears.

I was able to get by without the nose plugs, but it was too uncomfortable from the dry throat for me. Not breathing through my nose also was uncomfortable to me. I never got used to sleeping with it.

It might be worth trying for those with ear problems. It probably won't help unless you go without the nose plugs.

It probably won't do anything to fix the ear problems, just keep the CPAP from making it worse.

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bethshomeschool
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Re: Ear Problems after CPAP trail - How to Recover?

Post by bethshomeschool » Wed Jul 29, 2015 6:29 pm

I have fullness and ringing in my ears from the nasal pillows but it corrected the air in my eyes from the nose mask. I have also had swimmer's ear and tinnitus and am wondering if I would do better to try a mask? I used to sleep on my side but lately am on my back too. The ringing in my ears drives me nutz lately. I take allergy meds but nothing is helping. I was only given one filter with my apap do I need to wash these hoses every night? It is so long I don't see how they can air dry. I have the heated one. Is a colder hose safer and less susceptible to infection?

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rachelp
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Re: Ear Problems after CPAP trail - How to Recover?

Post by rachelp » Wed Jul 29, 2015 6:50 pm

Has she had an MRI? My husband had these same symptoms and he has an acoustic neuroma. He's only 37 so hearing loss in one ear, dizziness, vertigo were odd symptoms. His ENT sent him for an MRI and found the tumor.

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Julie
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Re: Ear Problems after CPAP trail - How to Recover?

Post by Julie » Wed Jul 29, 2015 7:07 pm

Beth - little tip - could you stick to one thread please so we can follow your history even if the subject of one note's different from the orig.

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Sir NoddinOff
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Re: Ear Problems after CPAP trail - How to Recover?

Post by Sir NoddinOff » Thu Jul 30, 2015 8:55 am

bethshomeschool wrote:I have fullness and ringing in my ears from the nasal pillows but it corrected the air in my eyes from the nose mask. I have also had swimmer's ear and tinnitus and am wondering if I would do better to try a mask? I used to sleep on my side but lately am on my back too. The ringing in my ears drives me nutz lately. I take allergy meds but nothing is helping. I was only given one filter with my apap do I need to wash these hoses every night? It is so long I don't see how they can air dry. I have the heated one. Is a colder hose safer and less susceptible to infection?
This is an old thread but it pops up from time to time. I use Mack's silicone ear plugs and they greatly reduce my earaches from using CPAP (I have surfer's ear). I can't say they completely eliminate all irritation but for some reason they make it very manageable. I couldn't say if they will work for everyone with problems like yours, however they are cheap and worth a shot. I can reuse one pair for 5 days. They are also available at any drugstore. Some people have had good luck using a sound generator to mask the ringing in their ears... I sometimes use the product linked below:

http://www.amazon.com/Macks-Pillow-Sili ... +ear+plugs

This is a very good sound generator for excellent white noise or for natural sounds like babbling creeks, birds, crickets etc:
http://www.amazon.com/HoMedics-SS-2000G ... +generator

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