Possible TMJ or ETD? Help!

I've been having this problem for almost a month now! It started three weeks ago after a shitty cold, I started hearing this high pitched cracking/ringing in my ears. My cheeks have also been sore and my eyes and ears both feel dry. My ears in particular feel dirty, itchy and clogged. They've been aching as well and have been particularly sensitive to the cold (which is pretty normal here, it's Ireland). I noticed that my ears crack/pop whenever I move my jaw. I also noticed that the ringing happens when I lie down or move my head in certain positions, as if there's some sort of fluid. Sometimes I can feel the fluid in the back of my throat.

I've been to my GP twice. The first time she said it was an ear infection, gave me eardrops which didn't really help. The second time she said the infection was gone but now I have a mild throat infection and my Eustachian tubes are still congested. I started getting a new symptom as well, the back of my jaw really hurts and is tender to touch. She said that the clicking is likely from TMJ. I don't clench my jaw though so I question that diagnosis. My ear does ring when I yawn though and when I move my jaw to my left it hurts. I also noticed that when I'm stressed or upset, the muscles in that area feel sore. I have braces but my jaw is slightly misaligned. I know for a fact that my mandibular nerve was damaged last September after a botched tooth extraction. I couldn't feel my lip for months! I get headaches and I have severe anxiety as well. My mom says I don't clench my jaw but she noticed I tense my face when I'm in thought. So it seems I'm a candidate for TMJ but when I pass all of the self tests I found online. Also the timing throws me off.

I'm considering allergies or ETD. The symptoms seem to get better some days but then come back later. I've always had allergic reactions this time of the year. They usually manifested in skin rashes, mild congestion and lightheadedness. This is the first time I've felt this congested for this long. My nose has been running for weeks, I sound nasally, I've been coughing up phlegm a lot and I've been feeling lightheaded (the sort of lightheaded you feel when you have hay fever, if you know what I mean. It's not vertigo).

My GP prescribed nasal spray but it's not helping. I'm at my wits end. I've been using it for about a week and I noticed no change. I'm try allergy tablets now. My jaw has been aching all day, I can't tell if it's from wearing elastics or not. My pulse is fine, my hearing is the same, balance is fine and my GP saw no fluid behind the ear. Is it possible that I have some sort of ETD? Does it sound like TMJ? Both? Is there a chance that the ear symptoms are going to go away eventually? I'm 16, if that helps.

 

Update: I forgot to mention but, my jaw doesn't lock but over the past few years I've noticed that when I move it in certain ways it causes this weird pain along my jaw that certainly feels as if it locked.

 

Sounds like you have TMJ from your post. I am not saying that's your cause of T but it sounds like it. If you are having clicking it's a prime sign of TMJ. Also, you can have TMJ without clenching. Your jaw could be misaligned etc...

Would be beneficial to see a dentist though for a more thorough exam.