Are My Symptoms TMJ Related? Crackling When Yawning / Swallowing / Ear Fullness

[Bunny_Lover1230]

Can TMJ cause my ears to make a crackling noise when I yawn and swallow?

Also when I was lying down I moved my jaw and out of nowhere my ear had a fullness feeling and I had a really bad high pitched ringing for 5 minutes. Does that also sound TMJ related?

 

[eagerUser]

TMJ can bother ears. Better you see a TMJ specialist ASAP. Crackling might be ETD or TMD. There's a slight chance it's from noise exposure if you have exposed yourself to loud noises.

 

[Contrast]

Do you have a history of over exposure to loud noise?

Loud Headphones, loud concerts, guns, lawn mowers without hearing protection?

 

[dayma]

Can TMJ cause my ears to make a crackling noise when I yawn and swallow?

Also when I was lying down I moved my jaw and out of nowhere my ear had a fullness feeling and I had a really bad high pitched ringing for 5 minutes. Does that also sound TMJ related?

TMJ is not a hard diagnosis with the proper specialist using xrays etc..

It's harder to link T to TMJ though. For example I have TMJ but it does not cause pain or T.

Best to go see a specialist and maybe two if they suggest appliances or anything that may be pricey for a patient.

 

[Contrast]

Noise induced hearing damage can cause symptoms that mimic TMJ and ETD.

 

[Bunny_Lover1230]

@Contrast no I haven't, I hardly ever use headphones and I don't go to concerts or things like that. I also had a hearing test done a few weeks ago and it came back perfect. I also think I had tmj 2 years before the T it's just an ear infection triggered it. But I'm just wondering about the crackle noise (also only 13 so I don't work in a noisy environment etc.)

 

[Contrast]

@Contrast no I haven't, I hardly ever use headphones and I don't go to concerts or things like that. I also had a hearing test done a few weeks ago and it came back perfect. I also think I had tmj 2 years before the T it's just an ear infection triggered it. But I'm just wondering about the crackle noise (also only 13 so I don't work in a noisy environment etc.)

the hearing test has it's own controversy, I had muffled hearing and my test also showed perfect.
https://hyperacusisfocus.org/innerear/#hiddenloss

Asking someone if they have a history of loud noise exposure is far more accurate then any hearing test, you seem in the clear for noise induced tinnitus. However hearing can be damaged by an ear infection.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

@Bunny_Lover1230 When you open and close your mouth, the TMJ disc slides and allows the joint to move. Sometimes the disc becomes displaced and touches one of two nerves that goes to your ear. So probably your ear infection inflamed the nerve. If you heard a sharp loud sound for a few minutes, besides tinnitus and hear crackle sounds then this would usually be the reason. I hope that your mouth guard is fairy thin and does not cover your wisdom teeth, as this way, the joint won't pressure the nerve.

 

[Bunny_Lover1230]

@Greg Sacramento that makes sense, and the mouth piece covers my top row of teeth the only problem is that my jaw was fine the first week having it then it locked and wouldn't open I went back to get the piece adjusted again then it unlocked for the first 2 nights but now it's back to being locked. So it'll probably be a long process but I am just hoping this tinnitus will eventually go away. I fee as if it's faded some but still very anxious.

 

[Bunny_Lover1230]

@Greg Sacramento Hi, I recently saw your post where you knew someone who had tinnitus very bad, and talked through PM and now she doesn't have tinnitus anymore.

Was hers also from TMJ and what were her symptoms?

I am curious because I still have my tinnitus that I believe is from TMJ also.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

what were her symptoms?

For most with physical tinnitus it often associates to more than one problem. I will review your history again. My thoughts will be based on knowledge from a team of physical tinnitus structure doctors and tinnitus only dentists. With TMJ often something else needs to be fixed as well.

 

[Bunny_Lover1230]

Ok please let me know what you think.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

@Bunny_Lover1230 What causes TMJ - 2 articles

https://www.starecta.com/10-first-insight/

In this link below - go to section titled: Mechanism of TMJ injury in whiplash trauma. The cause listed also applies to those that did not have whiplash, but to such things that you have mentioned in your history.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2786231/

Treatment: Sometimes jaw exercises can help and sometimes they can make things worse. Neither a MRI or cone beam study will tell all, but having both done well. A cone beam study takes 30 seconds and the sound is not loud. These tests should be considered for some before doing extensive jaw exercises. There are many general articles with other tips such as the use of heat and cool compresses.

Mouth guards: Guards do help many. Some need a guard that covers all top teeth and others do better with a guard that does not cover wisdom or last molar. I do a lot better with one that does not cover my back teeth.

Locking jaw and ear fullness plus some other good information: Jaw steroids injections can help.
https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/pain/lockjaw-what-causes-it-and-how-serious-is-it/

We can talk more.

 

[Mister Muso]

I get these tones too which multiply when I yawn or turn over. It can make a D major chord or sometimes a D sus4. Sounds like multiple tuning forks beside my left ear.

I made a happy discovery that I can get them all to disappear to a single quiet baseline tone through slow deep diaphragmatic breathing. After just 4 or 5 breaths they are all gone.

Hope this helps you too.

 

[MrCrybaby]

Noise induced hearing damage can cause symptoms that mimic TMJ and ETD.

Hey Contrast, do you know how the noise damage causes etd type symptoms? I've done my best to search but I've found absolutely nothing. It's really disheartening that I can't even figure out what's wrong with me...

I'm basically just hoping (very naively) that somehow restoring nerve damage to the cochlea will make the rest of my ear behave too, because that's all science seems to be bothering with.

 

[Contrast]

Hey Contrast, do you know how the noise damage causes etd type symptoms? I've done my best to search but I've found absolutely nothing. It's really disheartening that I can't even figure out what's wrong with me...

I'm basically just hoping (very naively) that somehow restoring nerve damage to the cochlea will make the rest of my ear behave too, because that's all science seems to be bothering with.

I experienced ear fullness and intense jaw pain after my noise trauma in 2017. Many people on /r/tinnitus report jaw and ear pain.

A journalist who investigates hyperacusis issues told me these things must share a connection.. Also I don't think science is anywhere close to regenerating nerves in the ear, just regrowing synapses.

 

[MrCrybaby]

I experienced ear fullness and intense jaw pain after my noise trauma in 2017. Many people on /r/tinnitus report jaw and ear pain.

A journalist who investigates hyperacusis issues told me these things must share a connection.. Also I don't think science is anywhere close to regenerating nerves in the ear, just regrowing synapses.

I can relate. My left ear is still a bit full, and I had burning pain in the ear and on the whole left side of my head for just over two months.

Thanks for doing all this research, glad to hear from a credible source that it's likely connected.

And oops, I meant hair cells not whole nerves.