Hi, I believe this has happened to me too, although with so many factors contributing to ones overall health, its confusing to be sure about anything!
I started using CPAP at the beginning of May and quite quickly began to notice some pressure issues in my ear, i.e. when travelling in the car up/down even small-ish hills I would have to gulp very often to keep my ear from feeling full, which I'd never had to do before. Then in July I developed a low hum in my right ear which turned out to be some fluid trapped behind the eardrum (again, a first). I loved the cpap machine as I felt so wonderfully rested for the first time in my life but it dawned on me then that it might be causing me these ear-problems. I took corticosteroids to solve this fluid-problem but it seemed to cause my pre-existing tinnitus, which had never bothered me before, to increase. I had initially thought this increase was due to the cpap machine so had stopped using it, but once I hit upon the thought that it might be the corticosteroids, I stopped those and seemed to get some relief in a few days. So I had come off the steroids and the cpap at the same time and my tinnitus improved. Last weekend I started using cpap again only to find my tinnitus increase, its very distressing.
So it's all a bit confusing and difficult to know exactly what is causing the increase but I feel fairly certain that the cpap is having some negative effect on my ears. They feel pressured and not at all right. I have stopped using it again (only one night in so far) - I will report back if I notice a decrease in the next few days.
I have been giving tinnitus, and general health, a lot of consideration over the last month and it strikes me that it is never just one thing - so many different things feed into how you are feeling - stress, diet, alcohol, excersise, cpap use, and for me sound - I am a musician, sometimes exposed to loud sounds - so that is all in the mix.
I think it might also be possible that one might become 'more alert' to sounds, external or internal, once they get some proper rest with cpap - the brain must work a bit faster and better - so that might be a factor too.
I think perhaps for somebody who does not have pre-existing tinnitus, or very low-level, cpap might raise it but it could still go 'under the radar'. for anyone with pre-existing tinnitus I think it could be very problematic..... my instincts tell me cpap is very bad for my ears and is the main culprit in this raised tinnitus.
I hope you tinnitus improves. I'd be really interested to hear how you're getting on with it.
