Jaw Movement and Tinnitus (Clicking, Popping, Cracking, and Other Noises) --- TMJ? Somatic Tinnitus?

Hi @AnneG ,

I have that cracking too, when chewing gum and so on, I think it could be from my bruxism, I have it like forever, do you grind teeth?

 

I was wondering, it is hard to explain, when I tell this to doctors they think I'm nuts, so since January in my left ear when I hear noise, but after that noise I hear like echo noise, for example, when I snap fingers, first I hear the noise and after that like low frequency sound for a little moment, and I've noticed that side of the jaw feels a bit wrong, I explained this as good as I could.

 

Hi, I have had tinnitus for many years yet today was the first time that I heard a sound in my ear while I was eating. It sounds a bit like fluid in the ear being moved around to be honest like sqwischy sqwashy stuff .. It is in my right ear but I hear like 5% percent of that amount of sound also in my left, like a little clic. But i`m sure it is not a clic from my actual jaw but a sound coming from inside the ear. I also sometimes have like earpain in my right ear, the one wiith the sound now.. although it`s been a while ... but It`s prone to infections i guess ...

anyone have had something similar?

 

Could be ear wax, that often makes fluid -like noise inside the ear and could also cause pain. XYou should go and see a ENT to maybe get your ear cleaned. And please never ever try to clean it on your own as this might lead to ear infections.

 

Ok thanks Seal, I hope it`s a simple solution like that.

 

I hope so too, but seriously especially us T sufferers, we use ear plugs a lot so it's totally normal that ear wax builds up that makes funny noises and causes strange feelings in the ear Just let us know how it went if you go see a doctor and also if it goes on it's own!

 

Regarding TMJ, when I went to the ENT, she told me I didn't have permanent tinnitus, but that my Masseter Muscle (sp) was inflamed and since this muscle is very very close to the ear it is what is causing my tinnitus. I went to a TMJ specialist and he took and 360 x-ray. My jaw was fine, but when he did a muscle evaluation, pushing on pressure points of my masseter, he hit one point that produced pain. He said it was entirely possible that this is causing my T. It's been 2.5 weeks from Diagnosis of the muscle problem and a few days out since the confirmation of it by dentist. I am hoping that this is the problem. Fortunately, I believe mine is pretty mild, but it preys on my mind like you wouldn't believe. It's an unfortunate side effect of me being very intense and able to concentrate deeply on whatever I am doing. I just have to work on not concentrating so much on the damn T.

 

Interesting this jaw/TMJ topic has popped back up again...
Some of you may remember a posted a couple weeks ago, about having what felt like an interior ear ache
and soreness in my right ear. It was progressively growing worse. I was thinking I might have an infection, or perhaps problems with my eustachian tubes...

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/sore-ears-equal-eustachian-tube-trouble.2219/

So on Friday, the barotrauma ear specialist that's become my regular ETN squeezed me in for an appointment. His diagnosis? TMJ or some kind of mild jaw issue. He said my interior ear, nose looked fine and I didn't have the discharge or other symptoms that might come with infection. He asked if I clinched or ground my teeth; I said I had no idea. Never have been told I have TMJ. But the last time I saw my dentist (early spring of this year), she said something was a little screwy with my bite. Sometimes, I can feel some of my upper and lower teeth hitting together in an unusual way when I bite. Then it goes away.

So the ENT suggested some OTC anti-inflamitories, avoiding chewy foods and gum, and a few other things, and we'll go from there. Jaw problems definitely didn't cause my tinnitus; barotrauma did. But maybe it is causing the ear pain and, who knows?, is making the T worse.

Dmhead, would be great if jaw issues indeed are the cause of your tinnitus. Maybe there are treatments that then could reduce or resolve it.

 

Hey Nills, I agree with Seal: anything that sounds weird inside your ears deserves a visit to the ENT. Could be a middle ear infection. Could be wax. All are treatable.

 

I just got this today after 6 weeks of getting T. :-( weird cracking sound everytime i chew or swallow. wth is going on with my body.