Constant Pain in the Left Ear

[PeteJ]

How many people have ear pain on here? Do they ever get a diagnosis? Do you?

I have mostly left ear pain but right ear too but problems with the right ear is recent.

I am really scared.

The t is bad enough but the ear pain seems chronic.

My ears don't feel normal and the degree of pain seems to vary.

Since there is a section that includes ear pain as a topic, I was wondering how much the cases and experiences vary.

I believe, for some people, the pain is described as 'noise induced pain.' Right?

I am not sure how much that applies to me though. If any noise can do it or if you need a loud noise or sounds? I am scared if it means nerve damage. I don't think I can live like this. It's torture. It's like a bad dream but you never wake up. There is loud t but also ear pain that is just there. It becomes severe suddenly and I can only wait for it to subside but it doesn't fully go away. It is also itchy sometimes, too.

This is just torture. I can't believe this is happening.

 

[PeteJ]

Why can't my left ear be normal and free of pain?!?

 

[PeteJ]

I hate my life.

 

[Contrast]

This entire thread is about a man with undiagnosed peripheral neuropathy in his cochlea.

See a neurologist, at least try to get diagnosed correctly with nerve damage.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

I agree with @Contrast that's it nerve related. You grind your teeth.

The closeness of the ear to the temporomandibular joint makes the overlap of symptoms grinding natural. The temporal bone, part of the joint houses the delicate structures of the inner ear. When the joint experiences pressure from grinding, that pressure could manifest in ear symptoms. The jaw and ear are connected by tiny ligaments. Plus, nerves running from the ear have to go past the joint and interweave with jaw muscles. This means that any type of jaw or teeth disorder or displacement could pressure those nerves or transient symptoms.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

@PeteJ Get a new mouth guard made by a dentist and you may become less sensitive to noise; be able to use noise blocking muffs/phones and to see if your tinnitus and ear pain lessons.

Regardless - you grind your teeth and without a mouth guard so sorts of problems can start to happen and make your tinnitus not happy.
Why is a mouth guard needed:
1. So that you don't do more damage to your jaw and teeth which will require drilling.
2. So that everything in my above post does not happen.

If I had used a mouth guard I wouldn't be here today.

 

[PeteJ]

@PeteJ Get a new mouth guard made by a dentist and you may become less sensitive to noise; be able to use noise blocking muffs/phones and to see if your tinnitus and ear pain lessons.

Regardless - you grind your teeth and without a mouth guard so sorts of problems can start to happen and make your tinnitus not happy.
Why is a mouth guard needed:
1. So that you don't do more damage to your jaw and teeth which will require drilling.
2. So that everything in my above post does not happen.

If I had used a mouth guard I wouldn't be here today.

I have a mouth guard but I definitely need a new one.

1. What?!?

 

[PeteJ]

I suddenly have pain in the right ear. No reason or explanation. I am inside. No noise happened. Just sitting here.

Concentrated in tragus area, lobe, all the way to cheek as it connects to my ear and just below. What is going on?!?

 

[Contrast]

I agree with @Contrast that's it nerve related. You grind your teeth.

The closeness of the ear to the temporomandibular joint makes the overlap of symptoms grinding natural. The temporal bone, part of the joint houses the delicate structures of the inner ear. When the joint experiences pressure from grinding, that pressure could manifest in ear symptoms. The jaw and ear are connected by tiny ligaments. Plus, nerves running from the ear have to go past the joint and interweave with jaw muscles. This means that any type of jaw or teeth disorder or displacement could pressure those nerves or transient symptoms.

I meant noise damages nerves in the inner ear. The tiny audiotory nerve fibers that attach to sensory hair cells.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

I meant noise damages nerves in the inner ear. The tiny audiotory nerve fibers that attach to sensory hair cells.

I understood what you meant and I don't disagree. Many physical systematic conditions, age process, lifestyle including smoking, dehydration, posture, certain vitamins that may be good for one condition, but bad for another can place the ears on alert. More so with already having tinnitus and hearing loss even if initial cause was noise.

Most tinnitus is caused from noise. Certain medications used for physical or coping can cause hearing loss. All the conditions that can cause physical tinnitus is known, but good luck to many in doctors finding the cause(s). Many with noise hearing loss will not develop other conditions, but some well and all of the above may be a factor.

Our genes play a big part in who we are and 40% of those with tinnitus have gene influence and lifestyle can increase gene influence.

The mechanisms for sensory and hair cell damage is understood. Physical causes are understand. The cause of TMJ and most conditions is understood. There will never be one treatment to control all tinnitus.

There's just no way to rap up all tinnitus interactions with flow charting, even with pages of medical discussions that pile to the moon.

 

[dpdx]

@Lex Hey buddy how are you going? Did your constant pain subside and now you only have ear pain after noise exposure?

Dude how are you doing?

 

[PeteJ]

What am I supposed to do for the pain? My right ear is really painful today.

I shaved earlier and my jaw and cheek bones close to my ear was sore. My right ear has the most pain though.

I can't do anything and can't treat it, I'm guessing?

I can't remember anymore but since I told an ENT about ear pain and nothing was done...

 

[Contrast]

I can't remember anymore but since I told an ENT about ear pain and nothing was done...

@AnyMedicalProfessionalThatTakesTheTimeToBrowseThisForum

 

[GSC]

What am I supposed to do for the pain? My right ear is really painful today.

I shaved earlier and my jaw and cheek bones close to my ear was sore. My right ear has the most pain though.

I can't do anything and can't treat it, I'm guessing?

I can't remember anymore but since I told an ENT about ear pain and nothing was done...

Did you try the magnesium water I sent you?

 

[PeteJ]

I have severe ear pain in my left ear (again). People keep telling me "keep fighting " or similar. Why?!?!?!? I am in agony. The tinnitus is bad enough.

I suffer because? No one can even diagnose ear pain. I have never read or been told of a definitive diagnosis by a doctor or ENT regarding ear pain, EVER. They don't do anything or simply call it an infection. They don't know anything!

So, what am I supposed to do?!?

 

[PeteJ]

I was going to post a new thread but it's about my left ear in pain.

I have a crappy dental retainer. If it's from grinding or clenching, I don't know how to confirm. I am scared if there was nerve damage from the original acoustic trauma or something like that. :-( I know I have said this countless times but I can't deal with chronic/returning ear pain. 90% of the time it's my left ear although my right ear has been in pain on some occasions. But, it's mostly my left ear and the pain is often quite severe.

Even when the pain subsides a bit, my ear never feels "normal." Does anyone know what I mean? No one else has this here?

It will be difficult for me to visit the dentist because I am A) using government coverage and B) I think I need a couple of fillings meaning the drill noise.

A mouth guard costs hundreds of dollars and is not covered. I don't even know if that will solve the problem.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

It will be difficult for me to visit the dentist because I am A) using government coverage

A mouth guard costs hundreds of dollars and is not covered. I don't even know if that will solve the problem.

Did you mention having teeth cleaned? If so good.
Conversation placing dental treatment and a mouth guard aside.

If you have more than one sound, increased sensitivity to noise - hyperacusis and ear pain that does back off a little at times, then part of this probably would relate to jaw tissues and muscles of ear. This would be beyond any hearing loss due to accumulation of noise exposure. TMJ and jaw issues without infection usually only causes mild to moderate T, but it does cause ear pain 80% of the time. An ENT usually knows by various ways if there's an ear infection. Muffs may be better to use than ears plugs when needed.

The use of warmth and cool may really help your ear pain, sensitivity to sound and jaw.

Magnesium Glycinate may help everything including jaw muscles to relax and to help you relax to sleep. Maybe try one half of a tablet one to two hour before trying to sleep and one half during the day. NAC and Truniagen may help everything. A half tablet of vitamin C.

 

[Daniel Lion]

I was going to post a new thread but it's about my left ear in pain.

I have a crappy dental retainer. If it's from grinding or clenching, I don't know how to confirm. I am scared if there was nerve damage from the original acoustic trauma or something like that. :-( I know I have said this countless times but I can't deal with chronic/returning ear pain. 90% of the time it's my left ear although my right ear has been in pain on some occasions. But, it's mostly my left ear and the pain is often quite severe.

Even when the pain subsides a bit, my ear never feels "normal." Does anyone know what I mean? No one else has this here?

It will be difficult for me to visit the dentist because I am A) using government coverage and B) I think I need a couple of fillings meaning the drill noise.

A mouth guard costs hundreds of dollars and is not covered. I don't even know if that will solve the problem.

Yo, PeteJ, listen to Greg Sacramento, he knows his stuff and could really help you. He also sufferers beyond comprehension and has mouth issues. He knows his shit.
A good resource for you... ok...

Take care.

 

[HeavyMantra]

@Greg Sacramento

Good morning,

do you think that intermittent ear pain that isn't directly related to noise could instead be related to what you mentioned above?

From what I understand pain hyperacusis is immediate pain when hearing sound? I've never experienced that. My pain comes and goes (just returned after several months) irregardless of sound. Also ear fullness, though that seems directly related to sound sometimes. And I already know I have pretty severe bruxism at night, and I know I tense my jaw almost comstantly when awake. No hearing loss or hidden hearing loss.

In short, I have 4 different sounds of which only one is intrusive. And I only have moderate intrusive T about 60 percent of days, the rest of the time it's the "silent room only" type.

Tried jaw and neck excercises, acupuncture, nightguard. Seen improvement during the last year but the issue is far from solved.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

From what I understand pain hyperacusis is immediate pain when hearing sound?

I think that's true, but there's a possible six puzzles involved when there's known jaw problems with hearing loss or not.

All your sounds are probably physical and use both auditory and physical pathways.

I could probably tell you what is wrong with your jaw causing T if you have a neck hyperextension history. I might even might be able to relete sounds to different neck/jaw issues, but any situations at this time seems to have been improved.

Bruxism causes dyscoordination, but neck myo-spasms can cause abnormal posturing or parafunctional activity (clenching) of the jaw. So neck problems can cause more jaw derangement. I would continue your neck exercises.

Not to tense the jaw is no easy trick, but the one thing not to do is hyperextend the lower jaw forward. With any dental work, partly close the mouth when you can. Control extreme hyperextending of head down. Don't reach to the floor without bending at the knees.

I think that your on your way. I'm glad to hear about your improvement.

 

[PeteJ]

Yo, PeteJ, listen to Greg Sacramento, he knows his stuff and could really help you. He also sufferers beyond comprehension and has mouth issues. He knows his shit.
A good resource for you... ok...

Take care.

I also have ear fullness. The pain is also behind the ear in the joint/bone area. My ear just feels so abnormal and in pain. It's difficult to believe or consider it is all related to tmj/jaw stuff. I feel like I am in a nightmare. I have clenched and grinded my teeth before and never had this ear pain issue. :-(

 

[PeteJ]

I am sensitive to some sounds but my ear hurts for days or even weeks.

I think these are different phenomena. Why would the pain persist for so long and just one ear usually?

Some people here who have ear pain talk about *any* sound being too much. I don't have that. Buses that stop and the resulting screeching brakes bother me. Really loud performance mufflers, fire and ambulance sirens, train screeching and sometimes dogs barking and people talking loudly might bother me but it's mostly the previously mentioned loud noises/sounds that I am sensitive to.

I don't feel like I get ear pain from them and I don't recall spikes immediately afterwards but if I had ear pain after, it wasn't immediately apparent. If there is pain after, I suppose there is a delay.

My left ear pain seems to happen at random but that doesn't make sense, right? The ear fullness is common here so there must be theories and explanations for that and the causes?

I would like to try a new mouth guard just to see if it helps at all.

 

[Daniel Lion]

I am sensitive to some sounds but my ear hurts for days or even weeks.

I think these are different phenomena. Why would the pain persist for so long and just one ear usually?

Some people here who have ear pain talk about *any* sound being too much. I don't have that. Buses that stop and the resulting screeching brakes bother me. Really loud performance mufflers, fire and ambulance sirens, train screeching and sometimes dogs barking and people talking loudly might bother me but it's mostly the previously mentioned loud noises/sounds that I am sensitive to.

I don't feel like I get ear pain from them and I don't recall spikes immediately afterwards but if I had ear pain after, it wasn't immediately apparent. If there is pain after, I suppose there is a delay.

My left ear pain seems to happen at random but that doesn't make sense, right? The ear fullness is common here so there must be theories and explanations for that and the causes?

I would like to try a new mouth guard just to see if it helps at all.

Try a new mouth guard... I know of a member here whose tinnitus is gone as a result of one... if you can try one, do it... nothing to lose.

 

[PeteJ]

Try a new mouth guard... I know of a member here whose tinnitus is gone as a result of one... if you can try one, do it... nothing to lose.

I want to but they cost $400 approx. and dentists won't fit me for one until after fillings. :-(

 

[Greg Sacramento]

Certain sounds can reflect upon particular issues. Hearing loss is most common for those with tinnitus, but blood flow problems and many activities of neck, jaw, oral/facial and fluids are not all or completely related to hearing loss. Ear pain can also be from separate issues. The amount of hearing loss needs to be known.

When one clenches their teeth, 80% of the time that will cause ear pain but usually only low levels of tinnitus unless mandibular nerves are damaged. There's hundreds of reasons why ear pain happens where some are ear direct and others are from another influence.

Many clench their teeth and they don't have tinnitus until the limbic system kicks into gear from trauma. There's just to much to get into with this statement.

Radiological exams are often needed to detect damage done from clenching. When there's tinnitus and ear pain, with clenching there's anteromedial displacement (stretching) of the articular disk - the joint/bone area behind the ear. A mouth guard is needed for this and to relax the pterygoid muscle.

Other common associations with TMJ (clenching) tinnitus where ear pain can associate that goes beyond crestal alveolar bone loss and nerve damage.
Sometimes cortical thickening along the superior surface of the condyles.
The mandibular plane may be steep and the gonial angles may be obtuse.
Hyperostoses that extend from the lingual side of the alveolar ridge in the molar regions may be noted.

 

[Marko Nakovski]

@PeteJ I'm having similar issues like you. This is some trigeminal irritability.

I have constant burning pain in my both ears. Sometimes the pain can spread to the neck, head, cheek and etc.

 

[PeteJ]

Certain sounds can reflect upon particular issues. Hearing loss is most common for those with tinnitus, but blood flow problems and many activities of neck, jaw, oral/facial and fluids are not all or completely related to hearing loss. Ear pain can also be from separate issues. The amount of hearing loss needs to be known.

When one clenches their teeth, 80% of the time that will cause ear pain but usually only low levels of tinnitus unless mandibular nerves are damaged. There's hundreds of reasons why ear pain happens where some are ear direct and others are from another influence.

Many clench their teeth and they don't have tinnitus until the limbic system kicks into gear from trauma. There's just to much to get into with this statement.

Radiological exams are often needed to detect damage done from clenching. When there's tinnitus and ear pain, with clenching there's anteromedial displacement (stretching) of the articular disk - the joint/bone area behind the ear. A mouth guard is needed for this and to relax the pterygoid muscle.

Other common associations with TMJ (clenching) tinnitus where ear pain can associate that goes beyond crestal alveolar bone loss and nerve damage.
Sometimes cortical thickening along the superior surface of the condyles.
The mandibular plane may be steep and the gonial angles may be obtuse.
Hyperostoses that extend from the lingual side of the alveolar ridge in the molar regions may be noted.

Will a mouth guard allow it to heal and stop recurring? :-*

 

[PeteJ]

@PeteJ I'm having similar issues like you. This is some trigeminal irritability.

I have constant burning pain in my both ears. Sometimes the pain can spread to the neck, head, cheek and etc.

It doesn't really spread for me though.

The ear pain continues but usually any cheek pain subsides but the ear pain remains. Sometimes my jaw and teeth are sore. I am worried that clenching is causing pain but what if I also have damage or something else is causing the pain too? It really scares me.

My right ear had some pain after I went outside with my dog for a walk. I wasn't out very long and the pain came on somewhat suddenly. Maybe noise caused it? I dunno.

My ears never feel normal and that worries me. I hate that I need further dental work before my dentist will fit me with a mouthguard. The fillings are covered but I still have to deal with the noise the drill makes. I guess the only silver lining is that quite a few people here have said that they got filings or even more invasive work done but it didn't impact or worsen their tinnitus?

I am wearing a retainer but it's flimsy compared to a proper nightguard. I don't know how I allowed the previous dentist to give me that. No wonder it was cheap in comparison.

 

[PeteJ]

Woke up with bad left ear pain. I can assume I was clenching/grinding in my sleep?

I should tell my dentist if they won't make me a night guard that I will go to a different one?

I hope that solves it though. I can't take this much longer. I hate this life.

 

[Greg Sacramento]

@PeteJ From having read your postings of events - pathology of jaw/ear/facial - I'm 99.9% sure that your ear pain is associated to your TMJ joint and this may be the only reason for your T as well.

It usually doesn't matter if a mouth guard is made before dental work is done. Free adjustments can be made to the guard after dental work is done. If not, your dentist should not charge for a new guard. You will need a hard, but rather thin guard for top teeth. Some dentist are better guard makers than others. This is the only problem to overcome. You can go to a different dentist just to have a guard made. Research online dentists that make mouth guards in your area. Look for patient satisfaction sites that rate a particular dentist.

Surgery should not be needed for you. That is almost a given. At most, steroid injections can be used for locking jaw, (not being able to open mouth), but you don't have that problem. I would avoid jaw exercises for now.

For now, before a mouth guard can be made:
Use warm compresses on jaw close to ear.
Colgate Peroxyl mouth sore rinse alcohol-free can help to heal and desensitize. When using this product, gently hold in mouth for a minute. Don't bring wash back into molar area forcefully - bring it back into this area slowly.

https://www.bergerhenryent.com/news-do-you-have-an-ear-infection-or-is-it-really-tmj/