Possible TMJ?

I’m 24, I’ve had anxiety and panic attacks most of my life. Most of my anxiety is health related as in I worry about every little thing that happens to me.

Beginning of Nov. 2017 I started having a random fluttering sound in my left ear. I didn’t think much of it. It would come and go and mostly happen when I yawned or hiccuped.

It eventually went away but in Dec I started having ringing in my ears. It was only really noticeable at night when I would try to sleep but it caused my anxiety to rise. The ringing slowly became noticeable all the time and was accompanied by a feeling of fullness/needing to pop my ears.

Also I started having head pressure.

No doctors including an ENT has been able to tell me what’s wrong. I’ve had blood tests, CT scan of my brain and had my ears checked.

Fast forward to now. Still no answers. I have hyperacusis very bad, still have the ringing. Some dizziness. The head pressure is very noticeable especially when I lay down to sleep. (pressure is also in the base of my neck). I feel like something is out of whack with my neck/shoulders/jaw and the only thing I can think of is TMJ (besides worst case scenarios).

I have a dentist appointment coming up but I’m miserable.

I don’t know what to do anymore, nothing seems to help.

 

Sounds like you have general anxiety desorder GAD,that can cause and spike tinnitus.
Regarding your jaw,have your dentist check you out for TMJ.
Love glynis

 

I do. I take Zoloft for my GAD. And I’ve even read an article that said stress can cause hyperacusis so I know it’s a possibility my anxiety is causing a lot of physical symptoms I just feel so crappy I have a hard time believing it.

 

Did you check out your TMJ? I see that was mentioned above. Anxiety can cause a lot of physical symptoms. I just hate side effects of most AD's.

 

@Ravera,
Try not be to hard on yourself and try look for the good in everything.
We are here around the clock to support you so chin up and try relax.
Love glynis x

 

@Ravera, a couple TMJ links:

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/seems-a-miracle-cure-tmj-splint.11835/

https://managebackpain.com/tmj-pain/tmj-tinnitus

 

Not yet. I have a dentist appointment coming up to see if I really have TMJ. It’s just a guess. I’ve always grinded my teeth and my jaw cracks/pops when I open it.

 

You may want a cone beam 3D scan, preferably at a TMJ specialist. Maybe that was your plan? A regular dentist did one for me recently, but I don't think the quality was very good.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/new-to-tinnitus-and-falling-into-depression.22172/#post-254252

 

I’m going to a regular dentist unfortunately the only specialist I know of is pretty far from me. But they’ll most likely do a cone beam scan

 

I have TMJ and I am not a doctor but everything you described above sounds like TMJ. I ground my teeth at night and then all the sudden by jaw was crackling, popping, and had hyper mobility. Since your tinnitus is most likely caused by TMJ, it may go away. You should find a good TMJ specialist and see if you have TMJ and what can be done to treat it.

 

@Ravera, I see sinusitis is a possibility too that may cause tinnitus. You would think a ENT would have diagnosed that though. Maybe this cause is a low probability? I was going to call the TMJ clinic I was to in the past, but they were closed today. I am still wondering how long you need to use a appliance to see results in lowering tinnitus if that was the cause. It is so tormenting.

The most common pattern of complaints that I see with tinnitus are:

1. Neck pain and back pain.
2. Dizziness (vertigo).
3. Poor hearing.
4. Congested ears.
5. Jaw pain and jaw noises (clicking etc.).
6. Sinusitis.
7. Sore throat.
8. Headaches & migraines.
9. Ear pain.
10. Double vision.

 

http://www.tinnitusjournal.com/arti...-upper-cervical-spineoperative-management.pdf

 

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tmj-and-neck-problems-causing-tinnitus.3809/#post-35769

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tmj-and-neck-problems-causing-tinnitus.3809/#post-35602

 

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/tmj-and-neck-problems-causing-tinnitus.3809/#post-35602

 

It is TMJ. GO to your dentist to see how bad it is. Mine only clicks but if there is a grinding noise that is a warning sign. Wear a mouth guard at night to protect against bruxism.

 

Dr. Hakala talks about tinnitus from TMD in the 1st video.

Knowledge For Wellness- TMJ Disorder with...

Knowledge For Wellness- TMJ Disorder with...

Knowledge For Wellness- TMJ Disorder with...

 

@just1morething You have posted a lot of useful stuff in this thread.

http://pennstatehershey.adam.com/content.aspx?productId=107&pid=33&gid=000162

I hope the author @Ravera is doing better.

 

@Ravera Hello- Has your T improved? I too have extreme pressure up back of head and in ears when laying down. I’m at my best when moving around and just getting on with my day, with help from Zoloft. Nights are brutal, no sleep. I’m seeing ENT tomorrow. I suffer from loud T, anxiety, and TMJ. Thanks, k

 

Your experience is almost EXACTLY like mine. I woke up one day and my right ear felt pressure and throughout the day a humming began. I now have tinnitus in both ears, but the right is so so much worse. I do not have hyperacusis, though. My jaw also pops/clicks too when I open it and when I chew. I have ear pressure and popping too.
I also have an anxiety and panic disorder. I've suffered many panic attacks. Tinnitus makes it so much worse, I know. But I am a clencher. I clench from stress. You say you grind your teeth, so TMD is most definitely a possibility. No ENT could tell me what was going on either. My ears were fine, hearing is perfect, eardrum works like it should, and an MRI turned up with nothing.

I saw a dentist for possible TMD and she said I was not an obvious TMD patient in her eyes. So, I was referred to an oral surgeon about my wisdom teeth and "TMJ issues". An x-ray done there revealed damage to the right side of my jaw at the area of the joint from clenching, so TMD is also a possibility for me though I have not had a proper diagnosis of it.

Do you have any jaw pain? Or is there any tenderness at the joint when you touch it or apply pressure to it? I experience both of these. Also, is your tinnitus somatic? That is another sign of TMD. When I move my head to the right and any quick movement of my head increases the tinnitus in my right ear significantly. It increases slightly when I push my jaw forward.

But yes, please check with your dentist who will most likely refer you to an oral surgeon like mine did. If you still have your wisdom teeth they can make TMD symptoms worsen and can cause even more issues.

I wish you well and hope you are at least doing a bit better now <3 I just realized this post was months ago... I would love to hear an update from you!

 

TMJ related tinnitus is an endless goose chase of spending thousands of dollars on specialists for a hunch. Seems like very few people ever wind up curing tinnitus caused by TMJ.

 

Curing? Not many. Improving the severity of it? A lot more.

 

Studies are over over the place with this, but few that I have found discuss jaw formation as an infant, young adult or permanent teeth development. They do mention mouth breathers, jaw and neck injury.

I've been to Periodontal dentists that been practicing forever that specifically treat TMJ and mouth disease. TMJ caused from injury with anterior open bite from injury is hard to fix and splint treatment needs to start immediately after injury.

Reasons of more complications is crestal bone loss that can set in, teeth movement and cortical thickening can take place. Treatment needs to start soon, when in the close position, either right or left condyle is anterior to the center of the fossa and when joint space is wide to one side - all related to injury.

If a patient has a deep palatal vault or mandibular plane from infant development, hyperostosis may develop from the lingual side of the alveolar ridge to the molar regions with injury.

Most with tinnitus - cause is from injury - causing an anterior open bite - TMJ joint from neck injury as being most important to treat - as soon as possible with a splint. Shifting of the the left or right condyle is also a concern with injury. Sometime fluid travel into the jaw that causes teeth to shift or a tight jaw can cause tinnitus, but this isn't true TMJ.

Somatic tinnitus - nerves to ear from jaw/neck rule over whatever jaw or neck injury. Somatic tinnitus can relate to jaw alone- 50%, neck, as cause 50%. Both - somatic from injury. This is different from Susan Shore cause treatment. Injury somatic jaw/neck trauma must be fixed first. Neck injury cause is mostly - muscle spasms in neck and forward head posture. The curvature of C spine may have changed. Jaw itself is often from having mouth open too long during dental without a rest period or clinching.

Jaw exercises where finger force is used beyond resistance can cause more damage and undo what a splint is meant to do, but TMJ exercises is big business. I think that many videos on the u tube are dangerous for those with tinnitus. At least emergency rooms get their share of trauma from this, more so than from chiro treatment. Before any treatment to jaw or neck, radiology, MRI or some form of CT is at least needed.

The worse thing to do with TMJ having an anterior open bite - TMJ joint injury - is to smoke or use a straw as that repositions the jaw.

 

Hi!

Your story is very similar to mine. I was running a lot and wearing earbuds. Over time I started feeling that little crunching or clicking sound in my ear when I yawned or swallowed. Fast forward a few months and I’ve had non-stop severe tinnitus. I also have anxiety very similar to yours.

I’m in the beginning stages of trying to figure this all out. Wishing you a path back to normal. Best of luck.