Can tmj cause ear pain and pressure: How TMJ And Ear Pain Are Related And Treated

15.07.202317.07.2023 by alexxlab

How TMJ And Ear Pain Are Related And Treated

What is The TMJ?

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) connects the bone that forms the side of the skull (temporal bone) and the lower jawbone (mandible), which is near your ear. This joint enables you to move your jaw forward, backward, and side-to-side. The main signs of TMJ disorder are a painful jaw and limited movement in the area.

TMJ Disorders

Although the causes of TMJ disorders are often unclear, discomfort in this joint can be caused by an injury to the jaw, arthritis, teeth grinding, excessive gum chewing, or a misaligned bite. There are three main types of TMJ disorders:

Myofascial pain: This is the most common type of TMJ disorder. It is marked by deep, aching pain in the muscles of the joint.
Internal derangement of the joint: This is associated with a dislocated joint or trauma to the jaw.
Degenerative disease: Arthritis is a type of degenerative joint disorder that can affect the TMJ.

TMJ Pain Characteristics

TMJ pain may be a dull, ongoing irritation or a sharp, searing pain. This discomfort may be more apparent when you move your jaw to talk, chew, swallow, or yawn. In addition to experiencing ear and jaw pain, you might also feel soreness along the side of your head, neck, temple, cheek, face, lower jaw, and teeth. Other common symptoms of TMJ also include:

A clicking/popping sound when opening the mouth
Locking of the joint
Difficulty opening the mouth
Ringing sound in the ear

Remember to consult with your doctor if your aching ear is companied by any of these symptoms.

Why TMJ Ear Pain Occurs

An aching ear is a common symptom for people with a TMJ disorder. Because the TMJ is near the auditory canal, pain and inflammation in this joint can affect the ear. A ringing sound in the ear, also known as tinnitus, is often a part of TMJ ear pain. An ENT specialist can examine your hearing and eardrum to determine if your earache is related to the TMJ.

What Are the Treatment Options?

Treatment for disorders of the TMJ depends on the cause and severity. If you are experiencing mild pain, your doctor may recommend some of these self-care remedies to reduce soreness and tension in the joint:

Eat soft-foods
Try relaxation techniques
Do TMJ stretches and exercises
Avoid chewing gum
Avoid clenching or tensing your jaw
Apply moist heat to the area

Anti-inflammatory medication and muscle relaxants can also help to relieve tenderness. A mouthguard may be a treatment option if your TMJ pain is caused by teeth grinding; this will prevent damage to the joint. Orthodontic appliances are a great way to correct the upper and lower teeth, as misalignment can result in problems with the temporomandibular joint.

Finding the cause of your ear pain is important because it will lead to getting the correct care. If your earache is a sign of TMJ disorder, the good news is that you can reduce pain and discomfort with a few lifestyle changes. Incorporate breathing exercises to assist with relaxation, which can ease tension on the joint. Speak with your dentist or orthodontist if your TMJ pain is related to an incorrect bite.

This article is intended to promote understanding of and knowledge about general oral health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your dentist or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.

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How to Get Rid of Ear Pain From TMJ

Who Knew TMJ Could Be Such a Pain in the EAR?!

If you are a woman, you are 9 times more likely to experience TMJ pain than a man. One common symptom of TMJ disorder is ear pain and difficulty opening your jaw.

Do you want to learn more about TMJ pain and how to get rid of ear pain from TMJ? Keep reading to learn more about your facial muscles and the tips that will help you restore normal jaw movements without experiencing ear pain.

Over the counter medications:

One of the easiest things you can do to relieve ear pain from TMJ is to take over-the-counter medication for inflammation. This is a great option because you most likely already have the medicine to help, so you don’t need to get a prescription.

If you have pain in your ear canal, taking medication like ibuprofen or aspirin can help reduce swelling and ease your pain.

Self exercises:

When you have ear pain from TMJ, one of the best things you can do to treat this pain is look at the root cause. If you address your TMJ pain, it will likely relieve the pain in your ears as well! Here are a few self exercises you can do on your own to help relieve your TMJ pain.

First, you can try tucking your chin to your chest to improve your mobility. Simply pull your chin down, essentially creating a double chin, and hold your chin down. Then you can relax and repeat this exercise as necessary.

Another great exercise you can try is opening and closing your mouth with resistance. Put your thumb under your chin with good pressure. Then, open and close your mouth slowly and work against this pressure.

These movements can help relieve your pain and prevent ear pain from developing or worsening.

Massages:

Many people don’t consider when learning how to treat ear pain from TMJ is setting an appointment with a licensed massage therapist. Generally, this pain comes from inflammation, tension, and more.

Visiting a medical massage therapist can help you relieve this pain and reduce inflammation. In fact, getting a massage can also promote healing in your damaged muscles and relieve any tightness and tension.

Getting a massage from a licensed massage therapist can also increase your blood circulation. When you have increased blood flow, it reduces your pain and helps you relax. A massage will also help you drain fluid from your ears and will keep it from getting worse.

While some types of massages you can perform on yourself to help ease pain from TMJ, it is always best to visit a licensed massage therapist. They know the best techniques and can help you find immediate relief!

Additional Resource:

Do you want to know the best ways to treat TMJ? Read: How to Treat TMJ/TMD.

Sucking:

If you are experiencing a lot of pressure in your ears from TMJ pain, something that may help you is sucking on different foods. This can help you relieve pressure and can ease your ear pain.

Using a straw with your drinks can help. Otherwise, you can suck on hard candy, cough drops, or anything else you have on hand!

Heat and cold:

Using both heating pads and cold packs is a great way to reduce inflammation. If your jaw joint is inflamed, this inflammation can spread up your jaw and up to your ear. Alternating heat and cold can help reduce pain and stop the inflammation from spreading.

First, use an electric heating pad or some hot pack and leave it on your jaw and ear for about 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Make sure it isn’t too hot, so it does not burn you!

After using heat for 10 to 20 minutes, you can use an icepack in the same area for another 10 to 20 minutes. Whether you have an ear infection or ear pain from TMJ, you will find significant pain relief by alternating these packs several times a day!

Avoid overusing your jaw:

Finally, the best way to get rid of ear pain from TMJ pain is to avoid overusing your jaw. Using your jaw joint too much can cause more pain and inflammation to spread to your ear canal.

Some things that can lead to a sore jaw joint or TMJ pain are clenching your jaw, grinding your teeth, and even chewing gum! When you open and close your mouth too much, it can lead to your jaw locking up and causing pain when you eat.

To avoid overusing your jaw, you can try eating soft foods that don’t require too much chewing, avoiding gum and other chewy foods, and you can even do stretches and relaxation exercises to help your jaw relax.

Learning how to treat Temporomandibular Joint Disorder can help you prevent ear pain from TMJ!

Featured on Virginia This Morning:

Jana Powell recently sat down with Jessica Noll from Virginia This Morning to talk about TMD.

Schedule Your First Appointment Today!

Get Rid of Ear Pain With a TMJ Massage!

When you are experiencing ear pain from TMJ, it can significantly impact your daily life. Whether you go to an ENT specialist, also known as an ear nose and throat specialist, you can significantly reduce and prevent ear pain from TMJ if you follow these tips.

Do you want to learn how to get rid of ear pain from TMJ? Finding a licensed massage therapist can also help! At Attune Massage Therapy, Jana can help you alleviate TMJ and TMD symptoms with physical therapy, education, and more.

Contact our TMJ Specialist in Richmond, Virginia today to learn more about our medical massage therapy services.

For more information about Pediatric TMJ Massages, please visit: Pediatric TMJ.

This article should be used for educational purposes only (not advice, diagnosis, or treatment).

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Ear congestion – causes, in which diseases it occurs, diagnosis and methods of treatment

Fungus

Allergy

Sulfur plug

Otitis

Adenoids

Hearing loss

Rhinitis

Tumor

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04 February

Ear congestion: causes, diagnosis and treatment.

Definition

The congestion of the ear or ears occurs as a result of a violation of sound perception and is characterized by various sensations, including deafness, a feeling of squeezing and heaviness, too strong sounding of one’s own voice. Ear congestion, regardless of the causes of its occurrence, is difficult for the patient to tolerate and, as a rule, requires the help of a specialist.

Types of stuffy ear

Congestion in one or both ears may be accompanied by pain, tingling, noise or ringing in the ears, dizziness. In some cases, congestion disappears after the act of swallowing.

A dangerous symptom is ear congestion with the addition of fever, headache, discharge from the ear (purulent or bloody), sensation of a foreign body.

Ear congestion does not always indicate a pathological process. This condition can be caused0021 water in the ear, pressure drop during air travel or deep diving. Sometimes too strong and incorrect blowing out simultaneously from two nasal passages leads to blockage of the ear (ears), which is associated with an increase in pressure in the middle chamber of the ear due to a sharp intake of air from the Eustachian tube. Taking some medications (antibiotics, psychotropic substances) has a toxic effect on the ear, causing congestion and hearing loss.

Diseases in which ear congestion may develop Attempting to remove earwax yourself with the help of improvised objects significantly increases the likelihood of pushing the plug deeper into the ear and sticking wax on the eardrum (this increases the risk of injury to the eardrum, leading to complete or partial hearing loss). In these cases, the state of congestion in the ears is accompanied by excruciating pain, noise, dizziness and nausea.

Mycotic or fungal infection of the external auditory canal . Infection with fungi can be complicated by narrowing or blockage of the ear canal with the appearance of a feeling of stuffiness in the ears. Hearing aids, in-ear headphones, as well as inflammatory diseases of the ear exacerbate the spread of fungi in the ear. The main signs of the disease are itching, ear congestion and the resulting hearing loss, an increase in the sound of one’s own voice in the diseased ear.

Damage to the external auditory canal and structures of the middle ear may be accompanied by hearing loss and congestion. Bleeding and the formation of a blood clot that clogs the ear canal lead to a deterioration in sound conduction. In addition, trauma to the tympanic membrane is possible during cleaning of the ear canal, a sharp drop in pressure, a strong blow to the outer ear. In this case, there is a sharp pain, which is replaced by congestion, ringing, noise and hearing loss.

Acute inflammatory diseases accompanied by edema and sometimes purulent contents. They can lead to ear congestion and hearing loss. In particular, with otitis media (tympanitis) the tympanic cavity and the auditory tube are involved in the inflammatory process. Swelling, narrowing the lumen of the auditory tube, and suppuration of soft tissues cause ear congestion and hearing loss. As a rule, the infection penetrates into this sterile cavity from the Eustachian tube, which is directly connected to the nasopharynx.

In children of the first and second years of life, acute otitis media can occur when breast milk or milk formula enters the nasopharynx during regurgitation.

In older children, otitis media and congestion can be caused by inflammation of the adenoids – lymphoid tissue responsible for local immunity of the nasopharynx and closing the openings of the auditory tubes in the nasopharynx. The anatomical proximity of the adenoids and the auditory tube ensures the rapid transfer of infection from the nasopharynx to the ears. In addition, enlarged adenoids can block the openings of the auditory tube, which causes a feeling of congestion.

Allergic reactions can also lead to acute inflammation and swelling of the middle ear.

Otitis externa is characterized by inflammation of the external ear canal. Congestion in the ear in this case occurs due to swelling of the tissues of the ear canal.

If the disease is caused by the ingress of a foreign body into the ear canal , then swelling and congestion are complemented by a picture of severe irritation. The patient complains of severe itching, pain, feeling of fullness, heat in the ear area. The pain is aggravated by chewing movements.

In case of furunculosis of the external auditory canal, the picture of the disease is aggravated by the closed space where the inflammatory process develops. The growing pain in the ear is complemented by its irradiation to the corresponding half of the head. The patient cannot lie on the affected side. Due to the strong swelling of the tissues of the external auditory canal, sound conduction to the diseased ear is disturbed, there is a feeling of congestion.

To the number of anatomical and postoperative defects , which cause ear congestion, include deviated septum, narrowing of the nasal passage due to hypoplasia of the wings of the nose, stenosis of the external valve of the nose.

Violation of nasal breathing leads to the frequent occurrence of a runny nose, infection of the nasal sinuses and, as a result, to the transition of the inflammatory process to the auditory tube.

Ear congestion in these cases appears on the side of the narrow nasal passage. The same consequences occur after operations in the nose.

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs due to a lesion in any part of the auditory nerve. Most often, this is an irreversible phenomenon, the symptoms of which include imbalance, dizziness, nausea, congestion and noise in the ear, poor perception of low sounds. The causes of sensorineural hearing loss can be transferred infectious and vascular diseases, tumor processes, injuries, toxic effects of various substances.

Meniere’s disease is a non-purulent disease of the inner ear, which is accompanied by its congestion. An increase in the volume of lymph in the labyrinth of the ear leads to increased pressure and attacks of progressive deafness, tinnitus, and sudden dizziness. In most cases, one ear is affected first. The disease begins either with attacks of dizziness, or with hearing impairment, which is completely restored between attacks. However, after a few years, hearing loss becomes irreversible.

Myofascial pain syndrome, diseases of the temporomandibular joint . Patients with myofascial pain syndrome, which is associated with impaired activity of the masticatory muscles and limited mobility of the lower jaw, may also complain of ear congestion. In addition, the disease is accompanied by headaches and facial pain, difficulty opening the mouth, clicking in the temporomandibular joint.

The root cause of the syndrome is a spasm of the masticatory muscles. A similar clinical picture is also given by diseases of the joint itself, caused by malocclusion.

Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels, rise in blood pressure . Congestion in the ears with damage or vasoconstriction is due to a deterioration in the blood supply to all tissues, as well as a violation of blood circulation in the inner and middle ear.

Vasomotor rhinitis, or runny nose during pregnancy occurs under the influence of hormonal changes and is characterized by a violation of vascular tone and the release of mucous secretions. With allergic rhinitis, the clinical picture of the disease is almost the same, but the provoking factor is not hormones, but a specific allergen. Swelling of the mucous membrane and narrowing of the nasal passages lead to impaired patency of the auditory tube and cause ear congestion.

Tumors in the ear canal, auditory tube and inner ear – the most dangerous cause of ear congestion. Among them should be called cholesteatoma – a tumor-like formation, which consists of epidermal cells impregnated with cholesterol. Cholesteatoma is characterized by slow but steady growth. Formed in the middle ear, it can spread to the outer and inner ear, causing congestion and a feeling of heaviness in the ear, purulent discharge, swelling and redness of the auricle.

Which doctors to contact in case of ear congestion

If ear congestion occurs, you should contact an otorhinolaryngologist. Further consultation may be required.
therapist,
pediatrician,
gynecologist, neurologist, cardiologist, allergist.

Diagnosis and examination of ear congestion

To diagnose the disease that caused ear congestion, a careful questioning of the patient, examination of the external ear and auditory canal to the tympanic membrane, audiometric examination is necessary. The infectious nature of the disease is determined on the basis of the clinical picture, otoscopy data and culture of the discharge.

An injury in the ear area is diagnosed using CT radiography.

X-ray of the skull

X-ray examination of the skull to detect violations of the structure and integrity of the bones of the skull of various nature.

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Diagnosis of cholesteatoma is carried out by a doctor on the basis of otoscopy and radiological methods (radiography and computed tomography). Myofascial syndrome and dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint are diagnosed according to radiography and CT of the joints, as well as electromyography.

What should I do if my ear is blocked?

If ear congestion occurs regularly, you should not postpone a visit to the doctor or try to eliminate this condition yourself.

Ear congestion treatment

Elimination of ear congestion is possible only with the treatment of the disease that caused it.

In the case of its infectious nature, antibiotic therapy, anti-inflammatory and analgesic therapy is necessary. Myofascial syndrome and temporomandibular joint dysfunction require bite correction and anti-inflammatory treatment. For tumors and injuries in the ear area, surgical treatment is indicated. With neurological and vascular nature of congestion and hearing loss, vascular and vitamin therapy are connected.

Sources:

Clinical guidelines “Otitis externa” (children). Developed by: Union of Pediatricians of Russia, National Medical Association of Otorhinolaryngologists, Interregional Association for Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. – 2021.
Clinical guidelines “otitis externa” (adults). Developed by: National Medical Association of Otorhinolaryngologists. – 2021.