Do you suffer from sleep apnea? Then you may have noticed that you’re more likely to experience ear problems than other people. A growing body of research suggests that there may be a connection between sleep apnea and a variety of symptoms impacting the ears and hearing.
Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder which causes a person to stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep. The two main types are known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA), but both cause significant symptoms which can affect the whole body.
Sleep Apnea And Ear Problems
Currently, there is no conclusive data that supports a direct causality between sleep apnea and ear problems. Instead, it seems as though the two conditions are linked by a variety of different factors. It may be that people experiencing sleep apnea are also more likely to have other health conditions or habits which can lead to ear problems.
That being said, some studies have found a connection between sleep apnea and various ear issues. Research has found that sleep apnea patients are more likely to have ear ache, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and inner ear problems than those without the disorder. In addition, one study found that the severity of tinnitus is linked to the overall severity of sleep apnea.
Exploring The Link Further
Many experts who study sleep apnea believe that the reason these two conditions are linked is due to the varying levels of oxygen in the blood. When a person sleeps, their body naturally slows down in order to conserve energy. This can be particularly noticeable in sleep apnea patients, as their airways can become blocked and their blood oxygen levels lower than normal.
These changes in the levels of oxygen can have a noticeable impact on the ears. Tinnitus is sometimes caused by damage to the tiny hair cells in the inner ear, which can occur as a result of an oxygen imbalance. These levels may also have an impact on blood flow to the ears, which can cause earache. In addition, Sleep apnea patients are also more likely to develop barotrauma, a condition where the body’s normal pressure imbalance can be extremely irritating to the ears.
What Can Be Done To Minimize Damage?
There is no specific treatment directed towards reducing the damage caused by sleep apnea on the ears. Instead, it is recommended that sufferers do everything they can to reduce their exposure to harmful continuums of pressure, and ensure that their blood oxygen levels remain stable.
In some cases, the symptoms can be treated once the underlying sleep apnea has been diagnosed and treated. For example, many people notice that their tinnitus or barotrauma will improve after they’ve started using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. One study found that the use of a CPAP machine can minimize the ear pain caused by barotrauma, though further research is still needed.
Stanford Sleep Apnea Study
As the amount of evidence continues to grow and research improves, there is reason to believe that a concrete link will be established between sleep apnea and ear problems. One major study, conducted at Stanford University in 2013, was the first to explore the relationship between sleep apnea and noise-induced hearing loss. The study concluded that sleep apnea patients are more likely to suffer from noise-induced hearing loss than those without sleep apnea. This may be related to the fact that sleep apnea patients are often exposed to loud noise levels during periods when their blood oxygen levels are lower than normal.
While there is still much more to learn about the implications of sleep apnea on ear symptoms, it’s clear that the two conditions are related in one way or another. Those who suffer from sleep apnea should not only seek treatment for the disorder, but also pay attention to their ear health and take steps to help protect their ears for the long term.
