TMJ and Reactive Tinnitus?

I have mild tinnitus when it's at baseline, but in my left ear it reacts to sound. For example, it will mimic certain sounds, or I can hear it over noise, such as driving noise or fans.

I have TMJ problems (clicking, jaw tightness, occasional jaw aching), and just started physical therapy. My jaw muscles on the left are much tighter and my jaw deviates slightly left.

Just wondering if anyone else has had reactive tinnitus with TMJ? My tinnitus just started becoming reactive about 3 weeks ago.



Thanks!

 

Me! Your deviation is likely caused by either disc displacement with reduction (stage two internal derangement) or disc displacement without reduction (stage three internal derangement) luckily TMJ is self limiting. And pain is not caused by the internal derangement. If you can stop clenching and learn to relax TMJ will usually resolve fairly quickly

 

Thanks for your reply! Can you please explain what that means, and any path you took for treatment of this issue? (or how you even found out that was the cause?) No one has mentioned this to me yet! I was starting to think it was noise induced because I couldn't find anything about TMJ and reactive tinnitus.

 

It's very long and winding. My TMJ struggle was very long/painful. In early November I began feeling TMJ pain and mentioned it to my dentist and he said try not eat hard foods. Later I got terrible neck, jaw, facial pain and my tinnitus went very loud...Over night. Prior to this I have had mild tinnitus my whole life. I saw a TMJ specialist (dentist) who took a cone beam CT scan and said I had some degeneration of my condoyles, and disc displacement on both sides and would need a 2,ooo dollar mouth guard + appointments every 3-6 weeks. They promised me they could fix my aural fullness and tinnitus.

So I did that for a while before going to a University Hospital and Teaching Center where I was given an MRI and told to stop mouth guard immediately and do only physical therapy.

Annoyed by the contradictions, I ponied up the money and got an appointment with 4 oral and maxiofacial surgeons at the Mayo Clinic and a two day class on TMJ (education) and chronic pain.

At Mayo, (the top hospital in the World FWIW) they walked me through my MRI, showed me that while I had bone on bone in my jaw, they explained how it didn't matter. They explained to me how 30% of the population has this and it isn't correlated with any comorbid conditions. They then explained to me that, even though it's bone on bone, the body grows a new disc, so identical to the old one that surgeons can't tell during an autopsy or surgery if its the real or pseudo disc. I was given a book called "explain the pain". It was then suggested to me that I really focus on reframing my life around a wise exercise program (yoga, pilates etc) and reduce stress.

I asked the Mayo Clinic doctor about tinnitus, he responded "I was hoping you weren't going to ask". He said, " so many doctors promise they can fix TMJ related tinnitus but, honestly, no one knows exactly how or why it's linked to TMJ. It IS, but we don't know why. But what we do know is that the your muscles, your nerves, and your Jaw are very closely linked to your ear, and that the more you can reduce swelling, pain, and improve oral habits and develop good posture the more likely your tinnitus will reduce".

Sorry for the wall of text. I hope that helps some.

 

That absolutely helps. Thanks!

What treatment has been most helpful? And did the reactive T ever subside?

 

Well the reactive part has for sure. As for my T in general it has gotten better recently...but I am also participating in a clinical trial so that may(is) have(ing) an effect on my T.

 

Thanks so much that’s great to hear! Hope you have continued relief

 

I have reactive tinnitus from TMD and neck issues. I recently got my TMD splint loosened and my jaw feels better, although it didn't affect my tinnitus. I would say my jaw is like 85% normal and my neck isn't near that range.