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Hearing loss caused by my C-pap ?
#1
Hearing loss caused by my C-pap ?
Hi,new to this site. Looks great. I have been using a C-pap for over 11 years. Been doing great with it, had a couple of pressure adjustments over the years,but it's been working properly.
A question I have now is I seem to be getting a ear problem that has resulted in a loss of hearing and I think it's from the pressure of the machine. It feels like air is pushing out on my left ear .

Has anyone else ever had this problem?
Can a C-pap cause a ear/hearing loss?

I haven't gotten with my doctor on this yet, just asking Around for now.

Thanks
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#2
RE: Hearing loss caused by my C-pap ?
If you have a loss of hearing, you must go to your Eras, Nose, Throat doc immediately, no matter what you suspect. Only they can assess what is going on, and if there is an outside cause of the hearing loss, possibly reverse the effect if the treatment is timely.

For everyone - if you have a sudden loss of hearing or a strong, sudden tinnitus that won't go away or a feeling that all sounds in one ear are sort of hollow or echo-y or it sounds as if you are hearing with water in your ear, go immediately to the emergency ENT and have it looked at - it may be possible to reverse the hearing loss if treated in time.
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#3
RE: Hearing loss caused by my C-pap ?
I have a developing hearing deficiency - but I'm sure it is related to my aging.

What I do wonder about is the tinnitus I have had for longer than I can remember (at least 50 years) seems to be getting worse in the 3 years I've had CPAP.

My specialist and my audiologist both say its not related - and likely sounds worse because my general hearing acuity is decreased... but I still wonder.
Disclaimer: The 'Advisory Member' title is a Forum thing that I cannot change. I am not a doctor and my comments are purely my opinion or quote my personal experience. Regardless of my experience other readers mileage may vary.
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#4
RE: Hearing loss caused by my C-pap ?
Hi Hogman44 and welcome aboard

Search the forum and do some googling and you'll find there is a link between sleep apnea and ear problems

I doubt very much if there is anything not linked to sleep deprivation and oxygen starvation during sleep in one way or another

According to ResMed, one of CPAP adverse effects is "ear or sinus discomfort"

Your doctor is the first port of call, maybe refer you to ENT








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#5
RE: Hearing loss caused by my C-pap ?
I would definitely listen to Doc and get to an ENT ASAP. Also, Moriaty are you on aspirin by any chance. Tinnitus can be a indicator of possible aspirin toxicity.
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#6
RE: Hearing loss caused by my C-pap ?
Considering there is a connection between the ears and throat (estuchan tubes (sp?) ) there is the potential for an impact....but at the range of pressures we're dealing with (even up to 25 cm h2o), the pressure difference is very small and not very likely to cause a problem. It may; however, accentuate a developing problem from another source and should be checked out.,
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#7
RE: Hearing loss caused by my C-pap ?
Hi Hogman44,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
I'd talk to your doc and get it checked out just to be on the safe side.
Much success to you as you continue your CPAP therapy and take care of your ear problems.
trish6hundred
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#8
RE: Hearing loss caused by my C-pap ?
I have had gradual hearing loss and pressure in my ears in the last few years. The pressure in my ears has gone away since my pressure was decreased but the hearing loss is probably age related. I also have vertigo and have wondered for some time whether it is related to cpap. It would be nice to get an answer
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#9
RE: Hearing loss caused by my C-pap ?
(05-01-2015, 07:05 AM)truetopath Wrote: ....Also, Moriaty are you on aspirin by any chance....

Thanks for the thought Truetopath.... I'm not on Aspirin. I do use a NSAID (Meloxicam) occasionally for a few days at a time for arthritis in the fingers but the increase in Tinnitus perception predates that by a couple of years.
Disclaimer: The 'Advisory Member' title is a Forum thing that I cannot change. I am not a doctor and my comments are purely my opinion or quote my personal experience. Regardless of my experience other readers mileage may vary.
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#10
RE: Hearing loss caused by my C-pap ?
(05-01-2015, 12:01 PM)PsychoMike Wrote: Considering there is a connection between the ears and throat (estuchan tubes (sp?) ) there is the potential for an impact....but at the range of pressures we're dealing with (even up to 25 cm h2o), the pressure difference is very small and not very likely to cause a problem. It may; however, accentuate a developing problem from another source and should be checked out.,

I'm voting Mike as having the most sensible response here.

One chief reason for eustachian tubes is to equalize pressure between outside your tympanic membrane and inside your sinuses, as if that pressure is not fairly equal, it prevents the membrane from vibrating as it should, which reduces your ability to hear. Fly on JetBlue with a cold (which is causing those pathways to be closed) and this will become abundantly clear.

So yes, xPAP will increase internal pressure a bit, but no xPAP manufacturer who understands liability would ever build one with the capability of creating a pressure differential that could cause problems with anyone's ears. That differential goes away as soon as you remove the mask, so it will not affect your hearing.

The most common issue with ears as we age is cerumen, or earwax. The most common reason is from getting water in your ears. Once it builds up just a little bit, water creates little tide pools and turns normal earwax that when it dries out sheds naturally, to encrusted mud, which just builds up in a vicious cycle. Assuming you do not have a larger issue, water is the real enemy.

Wear earplugs when you shower, pull the pinna of your ears down to shed water when you rinse your hair under the shower (with your thumbs in your ears). When you dry your hair, blow some cool air into each ear for a minute or so. IOW, keep them dry; dry them out when they get wet, and the earwax will shed normally. Problem solved.

One theory of tinnitus is that the little furry hairs in your cochlea that vibrate like tuning forks to indicate the presence of sound, can start to droop with age and touch each other, which acts like a false positive. The little hairs are stimulated and think there is vibration but it is just that they are touching each other.

So this sends a false auditory signal to the brain, which means everything (other than the hairs) is working as it is supposed to, and we interpret this as a ringing sound which actually isn't really there.

Sadly, there is no cure. But there are coping mechanisms (and yes, NSAIDS in enough dosage will cause a temporary condition that mimics tinnitus). One is hearing aids that actually generate a noise which had the paradoxical effect of masking the sensation. Another is to use a "sleep machine" that generates white noise or rain sounds.

I do not have tinnitus (or at least not much of it) but I love to sleep to rain sounds. There is a free app called "Storm Sim" that allows you to tailor and combine numerous rains sounds and thunder (and foghorns and train sounds and crickets if you want to pay a couple bucks). It even has a timer that allows it to ramp down slowly after you are asleep.

Its pretty great. I dial the thunder down and run it for 2 hours on my phone and also on my iPad (bluetoothed to a speaker on the other side of the bed) every night. Its like sleeping with the windows open on a damp summer night.
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