TMJ Tinnitus

[alleycat]

Hi everyone,

I am new here. I have had TMJ for two years. The jaw and facial pain and tension really bothered me, however, I had some pretty crappy doctors that took forever to order me an MRI and pretty much told me to take Alleve four times a day. I wish I hadn't listened and saught real treatment of TMJ sooner.

Three weeks ago I developed tinnitus. I went to a TMJ doctor, i.e. a neuromuscular dentist that specializes in TMJ and got a CT scan done. My jaw had become so swollen and misaligned that it is pushed back on my ear causing the tinnitus and ear pain.

I have been taking Prednisone and muscle relaxants for about 15 days now. The first 10 days I felt these really did nothing for me, except the muscle relaxant helped me sleep. However, last Friday (6 days ago) I got a repositioning splint and now when I take the muscle relaxant, I noticed a decrease in the volume of my tinnitus. This makes me think the splint has started to move my jaw in the right direction.

I also am considering acupuncture because my neck muscles have been tense lately which doesn't help the issue. Before this new doctor I had tried chiropractors, and a different orofacial pain specialist who I think only made me worse.

 

[billie48]

Welcome to the forum. TMJ is a known cause for triggering T but it is also fixable. So hopefully it will be fixed and your T will fade or disappear. You may want to search the forum with for TMJ threads in the past as there have been much discussion about this. Good luck. Take care. God bless.

 

[alleycat]

Thank you! Yes I am very hopeful it is curable as I've read some of the other threads and my Dr treating my TMJ has had success with this in the past! Today I actually had some moments where the T was at a 1/10 so hopefully that means my splint is working already!

Take care!

 

[Stephanie72]

@alleycat

I know this is an older thread but I was wondering about your progress alleycat? I am pretty sure I have T from TMJ as well. I've had a pretty mild case of it for years but yawned to wide 2 weeks ago and it popped and was very painful the day after but then got better. About 5-6 days after that both jaws started aching and the aching extended to my face and temples. Then my ears began to feel stuffy and I noticed a ringing which has gotten worse. I have an appt with an ENT Tuesday and have already been researching for a TMJ specialist. I'd love to know what treatment you are doing and how your getting along. I hope things have gotten better for you.

 

[alleycat]

@Stephanie72 Hi! So the treatment I have been doing is wearing as splint, designed by a TMJ neuro-muscular(something like that) dentist, he took CT scans and everything before making it. I also have been going to Physical Therapy for TMJ which helps a lot. My ringing is still there but its really low, I hardly notice it and it really doesn't bother me at all. What was really bothering me for a while is that my ear is was getting a full feeling as if there was a ton of water in there and this made the ringing louder, even though my MRI, exams, etc. should absolutely nothing. The doctor said it has to be related to the TMJ, Eustachian tubes, nerves, as they are all connected. A month ago they started me on a steroid nasal spray, since muscle relaxants and prednisone were not working for the ear fullness. The spray has worked amazingly, my ear feels so much better and rining is low. Now that I have the ear fullness under control, and TMJ under control (i still wear the mouth splint at night vs 24/7), I feel a lot better. Hope this helps.

 

[Lane]

I also have been going to Physical Therapy for TMJ which helps a lot.

Hi @alleycat

Congratulations on your improvements. I was wondering if all physical therapists do this kind of TMJ work, or do you have to seek out specialists. Finding a good physical therapist is next on my agenda. -- Thanks!​

 

[emmalee]

@alleycat

I know this is an older thread but I was wondering about your progress alleycat? I am pretty sure I have T from TMJ as well. I've had a pretty mild case of it for years but yawned to wide 2 weeks ago and it popped and was very painful the day after but then got better. About 5-6 days after that both jaws started aching and the aching extended to my face and temples. Then my ears began to feel stuffy and I noticed a ringing which has gotten worse. I have an appt with an ENT Tuesday and have already been researching for a TMJ specialist. I'd love to know what treatment you are doing and how your getting along. I hope things have gotten better for you.

@Stephanie72

Your story is almost exactly like my own. I have had TMJ for a long time, it comes and goes and can be very painful. Do you get the clicking and popping sound when you move your jaw? This is happening to me right now.

In early March my TMJ was with me and one morning I woke up to a completely stuffed left ear. There was a pressure of sorts, also. The very next morning I awoke to the sound of one of those old fashioned whistling tea kettles, only in the left ear, thankfully. It has not stopped.

I see the ENT on May 10th for a hearing test and then I will go from there. My dentist is aware of the TMJ, she actually diagnosed it.

 

[emmalee]

@Stephanie72 Hi! So the treatment I have been doing is wearing as splint, designed by a TMJ neuro-muscular(something like that) dentist, he took CT scans and everything before making it. I also have been going to Physical Therapy for TMJ which helps a lot. My ringing is still there but its really low, I hardly notice it and it really doesn't bother me at all. What was really bothering me for a while is that my ear is was getting a full feeling as if there was a ton of water in there and this made the ringing louder, even though my MRI, exams, etc. should absolutely nothing. The doctor said it has to be related to the TMJ, Eustachian tubes, nerves, as they are all connected. A month ago they started me on a steroid nasal spray, since muscle relaxants and prednisone were not working for the ear fullness. The spray has worked amazingly, my ear feels so much better and rining is low. Now that I have the ear fullness under control, and TMJ under control (i still wear the mouth splint at night vs 24/7), I feel a lot better. Hope this helps.

@alleycat

Thank-you so much for this post! I will copy it for my ENT to read, if this is okay with you of course.

emma~

 

[alleycat]

@emmalee My jaw use to pop and click so bad! But after four months of wearing my mouth splint that completely stopped, and now my jaw rarely hurts. Physical therapy has helped me not to clench my jaw when im stressed which has also helped a lot too. All of this brought the ear ringing down to a really low level- and the nasal spray is what really put it over the top to completely unclog my ear. I'm hopeful even the faint ringing I'm left with will go away- all my doctors told me once you fix your jaw, the ringing is the last thing to heal! and yes of course you can show this to your ENT

@Lane I think a lot of the physical therapist have good experience in treating TMJ. However I did do some research to find one that actually had reviews for people she has helped with TMJ. Always helps to call them and just ask if they think they can help you One of my PT days, they literally massaged my face so hard, I had muscle knots around my jaw! crazy. It really helped.

 

[Stephanie72]

@alleycat

What nasal spray were you on? I ended up having a godawful ENT and I saw my GP literally right after. He called a friend of his who is an ENT and he put me on prednisone. Which worked a little but I still have a ton of pressure/fullness. He also gave me Temazepam which works so good for sleep, anxiety and as a muscle relaxant but I can't take it every day. I have an appt with him in 1.5 weeks. I'm on Flonase already. Was yours a prescription? I'm getting a list together to discuss on my visit. Thanks! Hope you're continuing to improve!

 

[jim jones]

Hello,
I have just found this forum. I have the high-tea-kettle ringing that became 24X7 about 2 years ago. After a lot of diagnostics and various treatments it has remained and gotten louder. Recently I visited a holistic wellness center, and the chiropractor posited that since I could "adjust the volume" by clenching and unclenching my jaw that it was likely TMJ related. So this makes sense. I do have moderate TMJ. So now I will try to find a knowledgeable dentist, I guess who can work with that.
We did try chiropractic adjustment, vitamin B6, and Cold Laser to reduce jaw inflammation - no effect.
Jim

 

[Kev]

@alleycat I too have TMJ pretty bad and I actually think it's related to the latest spike in my tinnitus. I'm on prednisone now which does seem to have some positive effects on my swollen jaw which I hope gets me by until I can see a maxillofacial doc in a few weeks. Has your tinnitus improved since your splint therapy? Who did you see? I actually work in Santa Monica. My appointment is with LACOMS. Any advice would be appreciated Kevin

 

[nomoredreaming]

I never ever get given prednisone when my tmj gets really bad like this past month not sure why not.

 

[agal123]

Hello @alleycat So happy you are finding some relief. I am 39 year old mother of 2, and my tinnitus appears to be related to my jaw. My dentist told me a long time ago my jaw would eventually cause me more problems down the road, and the grinding and clenching I do at night would only make it worse. We never did anything to prevent it from getting worse at the time, because I wasn't experiencing any issues. Wish I had a time machine.

At the end of August 2018, I turned my head to the left, all of a sudden there was an immediate change in pressure to my left ear, and then I noticed the ringing. The pressure alleviated after about 48 hours, but I was still left with the ringing and pain running down behind my ear to my jaw and neck. There are days I still feel this fullness and itching inside my ear (sometimes it feels like little air bubbles are popping in my left ear) in addition to the pain, and sometimes I will have a headache just above my left eye. Thinking I was experiencing some kind of hearing loss I made an appointment with an ENT, where I had a hearing test performed and a full exam. My hearing test came back great, and after examination the ENT determined my ears looked fine. Although he noticed the shape of my jaw and also asked if I wear any dental appliances. I told him I was wearing the smile direct club clear aligners (big mistake, I realize now) to fix some spaces between my teeth, and coincidentally before I had the sudden change in my ear, I had started wearing a new retainer which was really tight and uncomfortable at night. The moment I told him this, he said "bingo, I think we hit the nail on the head". So he told me to make an appt. with my dentist, use warm compresses, pain relievers, soft food diet, to try and stop clenching during the day and white noise to help me sleep at night. I did feel a little relief from these recommendations, in particular the stop clenching during the day seemed to make a difference in the level of tinnitus. At the time of this diagnosis I was also going through some pretty stressful things, and clenching my mouth a lot, so just the one change made a small difference.

When I finally was able to see my dentist, her attitude toward my condition was not very comforting at all. She did not fit me for a night guard yet, because now that I stopped using the smile direct club aligners she wants to give my teeth a chance to shift back to a more natural position. I do agree with her on that, but she didn't look in my mouth, analyze my bite, not a single x-ray, nothing. As far as the tinnitus, she was like oh well not much you can do. Of course I left feeling so upset, and more anxious.

At this point, i have made an appointment with a dentist who specializes in TMJ treatment and after his analysis puts together a treatment plan personalized for me. My appointment isn't until mid October. Until then I do the warm compresses, and take pain relievers when needed. I have been very conscious not to clench during the day, but I know I still do it at night. I woke up in the middle of the night after clenching for a while, had awful jaw and ear pain and a headache at my left temple, and the ringing was louder. In the meantime, everyday is a little different sometimes the pain in my jaw and left ear are worse, which makes the ringing seem worse, and some days not so bad. I think anxiety over the condition is the hardest to manage, because you can feel so helpless at times. During the day, when I surround myself with white noise I don't really notice the ringing. At night, is probably the worst because it's seems much louder, especially when I am laying down on my pillow. Most nights I just try to go to sleep with the TV on, and if I wake up in the middle of the night I turn on a white noise app on my phone to help me fall back to sleep. On occasion if it's really bad, I take a tylenol pm, but I try to avoid if I can.

All in all I hope once I find help for the TMJ, then eventually that will help with the ringing. Reading some of your posts and relief you have experienced helps give me hope and a positive attitude towards this condition.

Best of luck to all of you. I will keep you posted on any changes. Thanks for reading my story.

 

[Dr. Jay Hobbs]

I was wondering if all physical therapists do this kind of TMJ work, or do you have to seek out specialists.

This is a good discussion. I wanted to offer a little insight into what different practitioners can offer. With some basic, extra training, PTs, Massage therapists, and Chiropractors are all very qualified to do MUCH of the work necessary to help restore TMJ function, and especially the muscle irritability that causes the tinnitus in these cases.

The general guidelines mentioned earlier are very important and helpful to reduce and prevent return of the muscle irritability.

The splint (certainly at night and even during the day, for some) is necessary in some cases. Of course, one is always more likely to get the best working splint from those trained and experienced, specifically dentists with a TMJ specialty. Other dentists who regularly work with TMj and splints tend to run a close second. BUT, the BEST is not always necessary. The are some DIY splints that CAN be quite adequate. I am doing a video review of the TMJ treatment for tinnitus research soon. It will include comparing the "pro" to the DIY splint results.

 

[glynis]

@Dr. Jay Hobbs
I had to wear a mouth guard from the age of 15 day and night due to TMJ,
I had to have major dental surgery due to my teeth enamel stripped off by constant antibiotics as a child due to not picking up I had severe asthma and not a chest infection 52 weeks a year.
Had all top teeth capped to give me nice white teeth before I would have had to pay for them when 16.
My jaw then and now still cracks that loud you can feel it and hear it when open and close my mouth.
I saw a Maxillofaxial specialist and was told I was a top candidate for jaw surgery but I have not had it as was told it could cause other problems.
I have severe Bilateral Tinnitus and hearing loss due to Meniere's Disease.

love glynis

 

[Dr. Jay Hobbs]

Wow! @glynis , you have been through the RINGER. I am glad to see you helping others in spite of, and because of, your suffering and other experiences. I understand that no one REALLY understands until they have been through a similar experience. I don't REALLY understand, but I do hope to be helpful.

 

[just1morething]

I had TMJ surgery last September with my stomach fat used to replace my worn cartilage as it was bone on bone on my left side. My left jaw still is not as smooth as my right jaw.

I'm wondering if my jaw is related to my left ear tinnitus noise?

 

[just1morething]

This noise is "kicking my butt". Maybe I need an artificial left jaw? I tried my oral appliance with bands on it last night but that didn't help. The doctor that did my fat transfer said it wouldn't help my tinnitus. Other doctor said an artificial joint would reduce my noise by 85%. I guess I'll have another TMJ MRI.

Maybe I'll contact @Dr. Jay Hobbs and see what he has to say.

 

[just1morething]

@just1morething, I was wondering how you were doing in regard to your TMJ? My noise is quite bad in my left ear and my repaired jaw isn't the best either. I'm not sure if jaw inflammation is causing my noise, but it sure is loud.

 

[Wrfortiscue]

This noise is "kicking my butt". Maybe I need an artificial left jaw? I tried my oral appliance with bands on it last night but that didn't help. The doctor that did my fat transfer said it wouldn't help my tinnitus. Other doctor said an artificial joint would reduce my noise by 85%. I guess I'll have another TMJ MRI.

Maybe I'll contact @Dr. Jay Hobbs and see what he has to say.

Maybe I should leave my TMJ issues alone. I got my jaw looked at and fitted the other day. They used strong pulsing TENS device on my jaw, then put some weird contraption on my head to fit my jaw. Then CT head scans lol. I go back next week for my options.