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Obstructive Sleep Apnea ( Osa )

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ABSTRACT: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an ever-increasing problem affecting millions of people in the United States. The prevalence of OSA has risen drastically over the past few decades concurrently with the increasing prevalence of obesity. Subsequently, there has been an ever-increasing rise in the use of CPAP. While there are many adverse effects to the use of CPAP, the majority are described as being relatively benign. Here we discuss a case of significant sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) in relation to a suspected perilymphatic from traumatic barotrauma resulting from excessive self-titration of CPAP in an in-home setting. INTRODUCTION: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common, yet under recognized condition. It is estimated that some form of OSA affects approximately 17% of the adult population. Over the years, this number has consistently increased possibly secondary to the rising prevalence of obesity in the population [1]. The pathophysiology of OSA is postulated to be related to decreased parasympathetic activity during sleep, leading to decreased muscle tone in the upper airway, which can lead to repetitive collapse of the upper airway, causing the characteristic apneic or hypopneic events that define the diagnosis of OSA [2]. The traditional treatment for patients with OSA is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) [3]. CPAP prevents the collapse of the upper airway by providing continuous positive pressure to the oro- and naso-pharynx.

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