Swallowing and ear pressure/plugging

RM · Post by RM » Thu Oct 12, 2006 12:56 pm

Hi all,
Was wondering if anyone out there has experienced this, or if there is any solutions or suggestions for help. Upon going to sleep with my Bipap, everything is fine until I need to swallow, and when I do, my ears plug up. The only way to get my ears unplugged is to disconnect my mask from the Bipap hose, swallow, then my ears will unplug. No sooner am I hooked back up, swallow then my ears plug up again... it's really annoying. I use a Bipap with settings at 14/10 with a heated humidifier. Any help or insight would be appreciated.
Thanks,
RM

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 1:19 pm

Happens to me too. After a night or two I didn't even notice anymore though. I don't know if there is a "solution" to it or not. It seemed to me like just one of those things though. If the air is coming in and you have to swallow (or yawn for me) then yeah - it's gotta go somewhere!

nomad · Post by **nomad** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 1:26 pm

I also dealt with this issue when I first started CPAP treatment. I finally got tired of breaking the seal on the mask and reseating it to unclog my ears (mine came from yawning btw). Like I said, I got tired of fighting it and learned to live with clogged ears. You'll get use to it. The clogged feeling goes away rather quickly. I really don't think about it much anymore when it happens. Hopefully you'll get use to it as well. Sorry I don't have a real answer for you.

snoregirl · Post by **snoregirl** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 1:30 pm

yup, no answer here either.

I went to an ent to have my hearing checked because my clogged ears get better throughout the day but never really clear before it is time to hose up again.

The weird part is the ENT told me my hearing is "normal". I disagree but nothing I can do about it.

His brilliant suggestion? Lower my pressure. That is silly. I have to sleep and I already have an APAP which allows me to run lower than titrated pressure most of the night.

I have concluded that sleeping is much better than hearing perfectly.

preemiern · Post by **preemiern** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 11:54 pm

I found if I plug my ears when I swallow, and swallow very carefully, I can avoid the ears getting plugged.

bdp522 · Post by **bdp522** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:46 am

I use cflex and found if I swallow at the end of an inhale my ears don't plug up. Must be that moment of pressure release that allows the swallow.

Brenda

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