Eustachian Tube Dysfunction, Perhaps From TMJ?

[mjk343]

Not tinitus but hoping some people can help me out.

I've been having issue with ears, at first I thought they were just clogged with wax, used peroxide and one of those at home syringes and kind of felt just made it worse.

I saw an ENT, he told me it was ETD from one of three things, and after examining all three were a possibility. Congestion/Enlarged Adenoid/TMJ. He recommended surgery for adenoid, but said it was enlarged probably most of my life (issue only started recently). I thought what I had changed recently and thought at first it was my diet and to cut out all dairy. I had also started working out though, lifting heavy weights and probably clenching my teeth.

I have an adenoid face, which probably led to TMJ. I have a horrible bite, and orthodontist years ago recommended a really painful sounding surgery, where they would move my jaw, put screws in it and put me on liquid diet for a month, but I had no issue and didn't seem worth it.

I also have a swollen/hard submandibular gland, could this also be form TMJ? Anyways I have gotten really anxious last few days, and as a result clench and grind I believe which has resulted in tense jaw and throat muscles.

I would rather opt for trying to treat TMJ first since I don't see adenoid gland just starting to annoy me out of nowhere. What would you recommended? Could this solve all my issues?

Would mouthguard/acupuncture/massage be way to go? Which doctor do I contact? How long before I see results?

Thanks

 

[I who love music]

I had HORRIBLE headaches daily for years. I've had T since '74. I've been a grinder, day and mostly night, all my life.
My dentist made me a mouthguard to protect my teeth but did not stop the grinding.
The headaches (finally diagnosed migraine variants) and the grinding stopped when I started eating right and doing short daily cardio or weights. It was just what my body needed. This lifestyle and/or avoiding loud music stopped the progression of my T.
My dentist is great. He's one in a million. He warned me years ago of TMJ specialists. He scoffed that most of them "Make their living .... " To add, I was told by a doctor I had a TMJ problem, and "Maybe" by my good dentist. So I did not pursue this TMJ treatment. After seeing at least 3 of my co workers get treated for TMJ for reasons unknown, this made me think maybe I'd look into what was causing this need to grind. I quit caffeine and sugar, and like I said, changed my sedentary lifestyle. No grinding now for years. But there was a time when because my jaw clicked and was sore from grinding, I would have MAYBE went with the TMJ tx if the headaches had not subsided.
Even my chiropractor warned me about all the expensive "iffy" treatments for TMJ. He thought it was becoming a 'fad.'
PS
When I was young I had a huge stack of books about pain and headaches. Many of them said if you're drinking more than 2 cups of coffee or 1 bottle of cola, you have no business drinking more than that if you have head pain.

 

[mjk343]

I have been eating good last few months and lifting weights (in fact I think clenching teeth doing this made it worse) Only caffeine I get is green tea, and on the fence if I should stop or not because of health benefits.

If I were to help TMJ how long would it take for ETD to go away?