new user here.. thumping in ear and some cpap questions.

[trailrunner]

Hi All,

New user here and reached my 1 year ani using a cpap!

Wish I found this sooner, but looks like a great community here.

The main reason I came here is that after using cpap for about a year, i'm now getting a thumping noise in my left inner ear. Not sure if this is due to the cpap? But wanted to see if anyone else had a problem with their ears and solutions? (yes i tried magnesium, not working for me.)

Some questions regarding cpap in general.

1. how often do you clean your tube? (I have the resmed climate line.) and how do you clean it?

I just usually just rise it out with hot water and sun dry it by my window, but wanted to see what best practices others employ regarding this.

2. sometimes i get the rain out...what settings should i fiddle with to prevent this. sometimes it seems totally random when this happens. some days it does, most days it doesnt' I don't do anything to the settings...

3. nose itches. I have a full face mask. What I do now is just lift up the mask and itch, but does this mess up the readings? not sure.. any tips on preventing nose itches?

4. I still haven't felt a night/day change from using cpap. I guess I just felt a more subtle change. eg. still tired, but slightly less.. Is this more normal for cpap users to feel, then the night/day differences? or should i have felt like completely changed after using cpap? (i didnt, but do generally feel better!)


Thanks all!!

[Sleeprider]

Problems with ear pressure can result from a buildup of wax, ear infection of any number of causes. Generally it is not related to CPAP.

Tube cleaning, probably use any mild detergent and water then rinse. You can buy a CPAP brush which is designed to fit your 15 or 22 mm diameter hose, and that can make cleaning more effective. Disinfection is not required or recommended unless you have multiple users. If you choose to go that route, Control III is a concentrated hospital grade disinfectant. Be sure to properly dilute. The humidifier chamber is more important to clean than the hose. Don't ignore it weekly.

Rain out is caused by condensation in the tube or mask. If you have a climateline heated hose, raise the hose temperature or reduce the humidifier setting. Consider getting a fleece hose cover. Lots more comfortable, and usually prevents this.

If you lift the mask to relieve and itch, the machine will record a leak...don't worry about it. When i itches I scratches.

If you're not feeling a lot of benefit from CPAP, you should look at data if your machine produces it. You didn't include the model of your machine (Autoset, Elite, CPAP) from the front right of the machine. CPAP does not produce data. If you have the Autoset or Elite, download #Sleepyhead, and we can coach you to some better results.

[trish6hundred]

Hi trailrunner,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Good luck to you as you continue your CPAP therapy.

[trailrunner]

thanks trish6hundred and Sleeprider!!

[PaytonA]

Welcome to the forum, trailrunner.

My nose often itches when I have my full face mask on. I have found that if I ignore it, it will go away.

Best Regards,

PaytonA

[Beej]

Thumping noise in left ear? You could be hearing your pulse in a blood vessel. Sometimes, this may be a serious condition, so please see an ENT to get checked out.

As far as the nose itching goes, I just let the mask leak while I slide a finger in to scratch the itch.

[Hydrangea]

I have wondered about how the pressure might affect the ears. Sometimes when I first start the cpap, and before I fall asleep, when I swallow I feel a thump in my left ear. I haven't figured it out yet (I'm just over a month into the cpap world), so I'll be interested to see if anyone else chimes in with insight.

[Mosquitobait]

A one time thump in the ear isn't a problem. Repeated thumps in the ear could be infection or could be worse. An ENT is a better choice to see on this one. IF he can't come up with something, you also want your ophthalmologist to check for changes in the optic nerve. I know I'm a little neurotic on this one, but believe me, once you start losing your sight, you don't get it back.

[C0mbe]

I have wondered about how the pressure might affect the ears.  Sometimes when I first start the cpap, and before I fall asleep, when I swallow I feel a thump in my left ear.  I haven't figured it out yet (I'm just over a month into the cpap world), so I'll be interested to see if anyone else chimes in with insight.

Interestingly the NIH is looking into this. They are currently facilitating participants in a study on the effects of CPAP therapy on ear pressure and eustachian tubes. 

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02882022

There was a previous study (much smaller) that identified that middle ear pressure rises naturally over the course of sleep and that cpap pressure increased middle ear pressure even more.  This was further exacerbated by increased cpap pressure.  

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/25459311/

That would suggest to me that keeping pressure as low as possible, or perhaps using straight cpap pressures might relieve (or prevent increases) in middle ear pressure in people susceptible to this problem.    

My 2c on hose cleaning:  I clean my hose 2 times weekly (soak in hot water and dish soap), but I have 3 young kids at home and they bring more germs than I care to count through my door.

[eseedhouse]

An added pressure of 20 cm of water is about the highest pressure most CPAP machines can produce. This is close enough to 2% of the normal air pressure at sea level. To get a 2% increase in ambient air pressure you would have to go down about 600 feet in a mine or deep hole.

This is enough of a change to make some people's ears "pop" to adjust to the change. For instance my mother's ears would "pop" when we drove up a nearby low mountain the island highway goes over, at about six hundred feet or so. Mine didn't.

This is perfectly normal and no problem for normal ears. I would worry more about the other ear which didn't "pop", but unless it causes pain I wouldn't worry much.

This is why you have Eustachian Tubes, to adjust for changing air pressure among other things.