Can A CPAP Cause Ear Problems?
If you use a CPAP machine, there is a decently high chance that you could have a medical reason for doing so, like Obstructive Sleep Apnea. This condition, combined with the use of a CPAP, could potentially cause ear problems. If you’re having ear problems and you use a CPAP, we’ll outline what you could experience and why below.
Understanding the Ear
Before we dive into how a CPAP can impact your ear, you have to know the ear’s anatomy. This will give you a better understanding as a whole. You have an eardrum that is a very thin membrane that separates the outer ear canal from the middle ear cavity. Sound waves cause the eardrum to vibrate, and this sends the sound waves into your inner ear.
The outer ear canal and the middle ear cavity should have the same pressure levels. The eustachian tube ensures this happens, and it connects your middle ear cavity to your nose. Whenever you yawn or swallow, your throat and palatal muscles temporarily open this tube. This balances the pressure between your nose and the middle ear.
Whenever you descend on a flight or go up on an elevator, you’ll notice atmospheric pressure changes. This creates negative or positive pressure inside your middle ear. Even if you experience a very slight pressure shift, you’ll experience hearing loss and a full feeling. Severe pressure shifts can lead to discomfort and pain. You can also experience ringing, buzzing, clicking, and popping if you continually swallow.
Inflammation and Ear Problems
OSA can cause chronic inflammation, and this can spell disaster for your ears. If you have any inflammation in your nose, this inflammation can prevent the proper flow of air from balancing between your nose and your middle ear. Things like allergies, viral colds, acid reflux, and weather changes can make it worse.
It can create discomfort that goes on for days, but it should eventually go away. However, if you have ongoing inflammation due to your CPAP and a combination of environmental triggers, your ears can feel stuffed. It can create a vacuum pressure that encourages fluid to build up inside your ear, and this fluid buildup can lead to a severe ear infection. If you don’t treat it, your eardrum could break, or you could develop a bacterial infection in your ears.
Aerophagia
A second condition that could case ear problems for people who use a CPAP is called Aerophagia. This is the medical term for what happens when your CPAP machine pumps air into your stomach instead of into your lungs where it’s supposed to go. You essentially swallow air. Whenever you swallow, the pressure equalizes between your nose and your ear.
However, swallowing air can cause an external pressure change, and this isn’t good for your ear. Your ears will now pop every time you swallow. It’ll mimic what happens when you’re in an airplane or elevator. The CPAP machine creates the external pressure, and you create internal pressure by swallowing. When you combine these two things, your ears will pop.
They can pop dozens of times a night, and this can make them feel sore or become inflamed. This forms a continuous cycle where you have constant inflammation in your ears that leads to chronic ear problems for as long as you use the CPAP machine.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
If you have GERD, the muscle band at the end of your throw doesn’t close as it should. As a result, it leaves a small opening that lets your stomach content leak back into your throat. This can happen at any time of the day or night, but it’s more common when you lie down.
Using a CPAP machine can make your GERD worse, and this is especially true if you also have aerophagia. When you combine these two conditions, the air can enter into the stomach and force some of the contents to come back up into your throat. Since your muscle band has a small opening from not closing correctly, this can happen every time you take a breath. Your ears will pop as a result due to the quick pressure change.
How Can You Fix These Problems and Save Your Ears?
One of the first things you want to do to eliminate any problems with your ears is to check your CPAP’s pressure. If it’s too low, it can cause issues with inflammation, GERD, and aerophagia. Adjust it and try it out for a few nights to see if you notice any differences in your ear problems. If you do, you’ve most likely solved it.
A second thing you can do is try anti-histamine medications if you think you have allergies. These medications work to block your body from overacting to whatever it is that triggers your allergies.
If you have inflammation from allergies, you could also try anti-inflammatory medications. You should notice a marked difference almost right away in your inflammation levels if this is the case.
Try out a different CPAP mask. Sometimes, a poor-fitting mask can cause air pressure to fluctuate. You may want to buy a new one and make sure it forms a nice seal around your face to keep the pressure stable. You may take a few days to notice any differences with this method.
Finally, if GERD is the cause of your ear problems with your CPAP, you can try sleeping at an angle. This can help prevent some of your stomach contents from coming back up in your throat. Eating a lighter dinner a few hours before you go to bed can help too. If none of this works, try switching from a full-face CPAP mask to a pillow or nasal mask can help.
Bottom Line
A CPAP can cause problems with your ears, but finding the cause can take time. Until you narrow down what is the root of the problem, you’ll keep having issues with inflammation and ear-popping. Taking care of it can give you some relief and allow you to sleep easier.