ETD, TMJ or Earwax?

Hi everyone!

My tinnitus has been fairly stable for some time now, not bothering me to much.

Since a couple of days I've had a bit of flare ups with pulsatile tinnitus, and also a bit of pain. It comes and goes, but it can really hurt if I swallow, hiccup, yawn or something else along those lines. Popping my ears does not hurt, however.

Very stupidly, a few days ago I used a cotton swab in my ear for the first time in ages due to being really itchy and having a really wet feeling in that ear. I've also felt as if I'm getting sick, feeling a bit feverish and fatigued for the last week or so. I also have quite a lot of problems with my jaw.

So, to the question. What do you think is most likely the cause here, considering? Do you think that I pushed earwax further into my ear, is it my jaws that are acting up or is it related to a possible cold or flu?

 

Today I went to see a doctor because of a sharp, stabbing pain in my ear when I try to pop it, if I yawn, burp or something along those lines. He told me the eardrum was very slightly red, but otherwise looked just fine, and he sounded convinced the pain comes from my jaw.

He told me to do some exercises for my jaw, all of which I doubt the doctor that I usually see for this would agree too, she has never mentioned them. In fact, the exercise he gave me was basically the opposite from the advice she has given me.

The thing is that I might have believed him, that the pain comes from the jaw, if it wasn't for the fact that it gets so bad when I pop my ears (or the other things mentioned above). I was also slightly put off when he told me that I should do the valsalva quite aggressively (because my eardrum didn't move at all when I did it, as far as he could see). For once, it hurts. That's why I was there. Secondly, I can't. I need to swallow at the same time or nothing happens, and then it's quite hard to do it in a really forceful way (which I also don't want to do, I've read to many bad things about it).

So, what would you have done, if you were me?

Do you have any tips to ease the pain (the painkillers I've tried has done nothing)?

Is it possibly ETD?

 

Go to a different ENT asap. Get a second and if possible third opinion.
Do not do any forceful things to your ears.
Good luck Imshael, I wish I could be more helpful.

 

Thank you for your advice @Daniel Lion!

He wasn't even an ENT doctor, just a regular one. I'm thinking about calling my dentist to see if the jaw can cause this kind of problem, otherwise I guess I should try to an actual ENT.

 

Try a dentist and an ENT... good luck bud.