Ear pain

The last time I used CPAP in February, my left ear started hurting. I was off CPAP for a couple of months, and I've been back on 2 nights. After the first night, my left ear hurt a very little bit. After the 2nd night, it hurts a little more. It's always the left ear. I do the neti pot before bed. I also notice that when I turn on the machine, with my mouth taped and using the nasal mask, my ears feel pressure. Any ideas what is causing the next day ear pain?

HI there...
sorry you are having that problem.. I have felt that too, I have tiny ear canals.. and sometimes nasal blockages..

Here is a paragraph of the american sleep assc website from WHEN THINGS GO WRONG WITH CPAP:

Headache or ear pressure. Although treating sleep apnea usually eliminates morning headache, some CPAP users develop headaches on CPAP. Others find that their ears develop pressure or pain in them. Most of this relates to underlying sinus congestion due to allergies or to CPAP itself. It is much like traveling in an airplane when you have a cold. The congestion can block the ear canals and changes in air pressure can cause pain when air gets trapped. It is best to avoid using CPAP when you have a cold or sinus infection to avoid these problems. Sometimes the congestion remains in the ears and sinuses after the acute symptoms of the cold are gone. If you develop headache or ear pain on CPAP, speak with you sleep specialist. In the interim you may try decongestants or antihistamines. Check with your doctor before you take these medications.

Is there a chance that water from the neti pot is going in to your ear canal? That has happened to me before. However, if you neti pot when you have not been on CPAP and you have no ear issues, then perhaps it is the pressure causing it.

Jaylee wrote:Is there a chance that water from the neti pot is going in to your ear canal? That has happened to me before. However, if you neti pot when you have not been on CPAP and you have no ear issues, then perhaps it is the pressure causing it.

This has happened to me when I used the sinus rinse too close to bed time. If I don't give my sinuses plenty of time to "dry out" after rinsing and I either put the cpap on too soon or blow my nose too soon then it pushes the water into the eustachian tube and can be really painful.

Irregardless of the sinus rinse I get pressure in my ears every night when I put the cpap on and it lasts until I take it off. My ENT said the other day that it's normal and not a problem unless it causes a lot of pain. In that case they can put tubes in your ears. Not sure if that is the cause of your pain or not but it might be worth talking to your doctor about it.

Thanks, Everyone. It does not happen with the Neti pot but no CPAP. I will try doing the neti pot earlier in the evening instead of right before bed. I don't want to take off a night from CPAP, but maybe I will to see if that will clear it up enough to start over...

Hi, SleepingUgly ~

I did feel ear pressure at times during the first month or so on CPAP, but it went away eventually. In addition to the suggestions already made, perhaps experimenting with humidifier settings may help? Less humidity maybe?