HELP my ear hurts!

First, for those that don't know I've been using my CPAP since early 2008. I normally do feel pressure in my ears just as soon as I swallow once the mask is on. It's annoying but not that big a deal. Well last night as soon as I swallowed and the pressure came into my ears so did some pain. Frustrating but I managed to ignore it enough to sleep. But I swallow air and burp it up during the night. When I burped up the air I felt an extreme pain in my ear, it made me jump up.

I think this all started after I put a q-tip in my ears yesterday to scratch them. My ears itch way down in them and eventually it gets to where I can't stand it. There was a ton of wax in there too. Maybe some got pushed down in one ear? I don't know but I can't sleep without my CPAP!!! And just try not swallowing once it's on, that's what I kept doing all night, turning it off or lifting the mask to swallow. Needless to say I didn't sleep that well. And I must swallow in my sleep anyway because I still wake up and the pressure is on my ears.

What do I do about this!? I mean, nothing else is different. I don't think there's any infection or sinus problems or anything like that. Literally the only thing that changed was putting the q-tip in to scratch now there is bad pain in one ear with CPAP.

I suppose you could try irrigating your sinuses with a neti pot or similar. However, you should really see an ENT to be on the safe side. If nothing else, the ENT could properly clean the wax out of your ears and determine why they itch. An ENT may also be able to determine why you have/feel pressure when wearing the mask.

You need to clean your ears but NOT with a q-tip. Go get a small ear syringe and squish warm NOT HOT, soapy water in there. Then use the syringe to take out the excess water. You may have pushed the wax up against your eardrum with the q-tip. Itchy ears is usually a sign of allergies.

At this point, I would do none of the above. I'd go to an ENT and have him look inside my ear, and would ask his advice about both sinus rinses, and putting anything in my ear. I would want the ENT 's confirmation that I handn't ruptured my eardrum before I started putting anything in my ear or my sinuses.

Said by a person who finds sinus rinses a great relief and comfort.

If my eardrum was broken wouldn't I be deaf then?

You do need to get that looked into by a doctor.

I have ear wax problems. Sometimes I can deal with them using over the counter products but, every once in a while I have to go to the doctor and get it flushed out with his big syringe I don't like it but sometimes my hearing is affected.

I had a doctor once who said - never put anything large than your elbow into your ear!

No, you won't be deaf if you have broken your eardrum on one side, but your hearing might be affected, and possibly so subtle (high or low frequency frequency loss) that you would not notice it. You really need to see your PCP, at least, and possibly be referred to an ENT. I am not a Dr (and I don't play one of TV) but I think you may have some eustachian tube problem causing you to have ear pain when you swallow with the mask on, and that needs to be dealt with, possibly with ear tubes. Also, you need to keep shower, sinus rinse, and pool water out of that ear until you have it checked by a Dr. You should call now, it is Friday! Allergies cause my ears to itch too, and I find some relief with OTC Claritin (loratidine 10 mg) taken every evening with supper.

nobody wrote:If my eardrum was broken wouldn't I be deaf then?

No. But there usually is extreme pain associated with a perforation.

At the very least, see your primary care physician (in case of long wait for ENT) and he can easily see if it is just wax against the ear drum and even do an ear irrigation. If it is something else he can see that also. If ENT is needed he should be able to get things expedited. Wax against eardrum can and will cause decreased hearing in that ear not so much pain.

You had extreme pain? See a doctor now. It may not be anything but don't be putting anything in your ears till it gets checked out.

radaddict wrote: An ENT may also be able to determine why you have/feel pressure when wearing the mask.

I'm sure it's because the ear is connected to the throat via the eustachian tube. I think it'd be unusual if you *didn't* feel pressure in the ears while wearing the mask. I don't think I'm going to be going to any doctors in any case. I've had a doctor years ago try and clean my ears out with a syringe and it did no good. I had to put drops in them for several weeks until the wax came up. Maybe that's what I need now. I wonder if I can buy those drops OTC.

nobody wrote:I wonder if I can buy those drops OTC.

Yes. They it is called Debrox. I worked for a doctor and we used it all the time to soften wax to make it easier for irrigation.
I still think you should see a doctor though, but your choice. Mainly because of the pain statement.

If you choose to use the Debrox, just use it without syringe washing at high pressures. Don't want to take the chance of introducing water and stuff into inner ear canal if there is a hole in ear drum and/or making any hole (if there is one) larger.

It only hurts when the CPAP is on. It doesn't hurt now when I'm not using it. Well I may go to a doctor if it continues or gets worse, but right now I'd like to avoid that if possible.

nobody wrote:It only hurts when the CPAP is on. It doesn't hurt now when I'm not using it. Well I may go to a doctor if it continues or gets worse, but right now I'd like to avoid that if possible.

Please do. It shouldn't hurt when CPAP is on.
Yes, there can be some ear pressure related issues when cpap is on because of the tubes to the ears but it shouldn't hurt.
It should be no more uncomfortable than something similar to changing altitudes in airplane. Anything more than that needs to be at least discussed with physician.

My ear is doing a lot better now, but still has some pain issues when using the CPAP. But it's a lot better so I think it will be ok.