RE: Therapy for LPR, OSA, and… UARS?
Talked to my sleep doc / ENT today about my ear problems and he said to try Sudafed before bed but if that didn't work there wasn't much that could be done for me and I would fail PAP therapy. He said what I'm dealing with is unusual but he's seen it a fair bit.
Here's the problem I'm having: intermittently while trying to fall asleep, my ears will pop and unpop. Sometimes I will feel air pressure build up and press on my Eustachian tubes, sort of the same way that I feel it build up in my mouth sometimes.
I thought I could tolerate this weird discomfort, but five days ago, when I woke up, my left ear was ringing. It was louder than the air purifier in my room, and then it rang all day long. This continued each morning for the next three days.
Two days ago I got desperate and read all the threads on here about ear trouble. I tried a lot of things (only swallowing after exhale, neti pot w saline twice a day, Xlear spray, not drinking water before bed, mucinex, chewing gum all day) and when I woke up, both my ears were ringing instead of just my left, but a little quieter. I decided to stay the course and even used Afrin last night, but I experienced the same ear discomfort while going to sleep, and this morning both ears were ringing like bells.
I suspect either my eustachian tubes are too open or too closed. I've had problems with my ears in the past because of LPR. But my pressure is so low, I don't get why it's an issue.
I work with sound and I can't risk hearing loss. I feel pretty stupid because I bought my machine outright and I spent so many sleepless night the past two weeks self-titrating the centrals away. And bless them - the experts here helped me fine tune my settings to near perfection already! I really enjoy what PAP has done for me, even on only 4 hours a night (clearer thinking, no all day bodily stress response). The doc's already talking about a MAD, but I know that a MAD won't treat me nearly as well (plus TMJ/bite stuff) and surgery is spotty at best.
Is there anything else I can try for this while I do the Sudafed run?
Here's the problem I'm having: intermittently while trying to fall asleep, my ears will pop and unpop. Sometimes I will feel air pressure build up and press on my Eustachian tubes, sort of the same way that I feel it build up in my mouth sometimes.
I thought I could tolerate this weird discomfort, but five days ago, when I woke up, my left ear was ringing. It was louder than the air purifier in my room, and then it rang all day long. This continued each morning for the next three days.
Two days ago I got desperate and read all the threads on here about ear trouble. I tried a lot of things (only swallowing after exhale, neti pot w saline twice a day, Xlear spray, not drinking water before bed, mucinex, chewing gum all day) and when I woke up, both my ears were ringing instead of just my left, but a little quieter. I decided to stay the course and even used Afrin last night, but I experienced the same ear discomfort while going to sleep, and this morning both ears were ringing like bells.
I suspect either my eustachian tubes are too open or too closed. I've had problems with my ears in the past because of LPR. But my pressure is so low, I don't get why it's an issue.
I work with sound and I can't risk hearing loss. I feel pretty stupid because I bought my machine outright and I spent so many sleepless night the past two weeks self-titrating the centrals away. And bless them - the experts here helped me fine tune my settings to near perfection already! I really enjoy what PAP has done for me, even on only 4 hours a night (clearer thinking, no all day bodily stress response). The doc's already talking about a MAD, but I know that a MAD won't treat me nearly as well (plus TMJ/bite stuff) and surgery is spotty at best.
Is there anything else I can try for this while I do the Sudafed run?
