What are the causes of jaw and ear pain? How can you treat it? Get the answers to these questions and more in this informative article.

Understanding the Causes of Jaw and Ear Pain

Experiencing pain at the base of the ear and jaw can be a concerning and frustrating experience. However, understanding the potential causes of this discomfort can help you seek the appropriate treatment and find relief. Here are some of the most common reasons for jaw and ear pain:

1. TMJ Disorders

TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders are one of the most common culprits behind jaw and ear pain. The temporomandibular joint is located adjacent to the temporal bone, which is part of the inner ear. When this joint becomes inflamed, it can cause pain and discomfort in both the ears and the jaw. Symptoms of TMJ disorders may include a clicking or popping sound in the jaw, pain when chewing, headaches, ear ringing, hearing loss, and even shoulder and neck pain.

2. Dental Issues

Dental problems such as periodontal disease, cavities, dental abscesses, or a buildup of bacteria on the gums and teeth can also cause severe pain in the jaw and ears. If you experience tooth sensitivity, pain in your face, loose teeth, sensitivity to hot or cold beverages, or swelling in the gums, it’s essential to consult your dentist to address the underlying issue.

3. Swimmer’s Ear

Swimmer’s ear, or otitis externa, is a condition caused by an injury to the ear’s lining or water exposure that allows bacteria to grow in the outer ear. This can result in painful symptoms, including ear and jaw pain. If you suspect you may have swimmer’s ear, it’s crucial to seek medical attention to properly treat the infection.

4. Arthritis

While it’s not the first thing that comes to mind, arthritis can also affect the jaw and cause ear pain. Osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis can all lead to pain in the temporomandibular joint, which can then radiate to the ears.

Seeking Treatment for Jaw and Ear Pain

The first step in treating jaw and ear pain is to determine the underlying cause. Visiting a healthcare professional, such as a dentist or an ear, nose, and throat specialist, can help identify the root of the problem and develop an appropriate treatment plan. Some common treatment options include:

TMJ Disorder Treatment

For TMJ disorders, treatment may involve physical therapy, oral splints, pain medication, or in some cases, surgical intervention. Working with a TMJ specialist can help alleviate the pain and discomfort associated with this condition.

Dental Treatment

Addressing dental issues, such as cavities, gum disease, or abscesses, through professional dental treatment can often resolve the accompanying jaw and ear pain.

Swimmer’s Ear Treatment

Swimmer’s ear is typically treated with antibiotic ear drops or, in more severe cases, oral antibiotics. Proper cleaning and drying of the ear canal can also help prevent and treat this condition.

Arthritis Treatment

For arthritis-related jaw and ear pain, treatments may include pain medication, physical therapy, and in some cases, joint injections or surgery to address the underlying joint issues.

Preventing Jaw and Ear Pain

While some causes of jaw and ear pain, such as TMJ disorders or arthritis, may not be entirely preventable, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk and maintain good oral and overall health:

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene

Brush and floss your teeth regularly, and visit your dentist for routine checkups and cleanings. This can help prevent dental issues that may lead to jaw and ear pain.

Wear Protective Gear

If you participate in sports or activities that may put your jaw or ears at risk, consider wearing a mouthguard or other protective gear to minimize the risk of injury.

Manage Stress

Stress can contribute to TMJ disorders and other health issues. Practicing stress-management techniques, such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing, may help reduce the risk of jaw and ear pain.

When to Seek Medical Attention

If you experience persistent or severe jaw and ear pain, it’s important to seek medical attention. Some signs that it’s time to see a healthcare professional include:

• Constant or worsening pain
• Difficulty opening your mouth
• Swelling or redness in the affected area
• Hearing changes or loss
• Fever or other signs of infection

Don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with your dentist, primary care physician, or an ear, nose, and throat specialist to get to the root of the problem and find the appropriate treatment. With the right care, you can find relief and prevent the condition from worsening.

Conclusion

Jaw and ear pain can be a frustrating and debilitating experience, but understanding the potential causes and seeking the appropriate treatment can help you find relief. Whether it’s a TMJ disorder, a dental issue, swimmer’s ear, or arthritis, working with healthcare professionals to identify and address the underlying cause is the key to managing this type of discomfort. By taking proactive steps to maintain good oral and overall health, you can reduce your risk of developing jaw and ear pain in the first place.

4 Causes Of Jaw And Ear Pain

TMJ Treatment |3 min read

published February 16, 2020Last updated June 30, 2023

It’s possible to experience jaw and ear pain simultaneously for lots of different reasons. Although your ears and jaws are located in different areas, their close proximity can affect one another. Oftentimes when you develop a medical condition in your mouth, jaw, or ear, it can cause referred pain in the jaw and ear. If you’re experience jaw and ear pain at the same time, it might be due to the following problems.

1. TMJ Disorders

TMJ disorders are one of the most common causes of jaw and ear pain. This is due to the temporomandibular joint being adjacent to the temporal bone which is apart of the inner ear. When the temporomandibular joint becomes inflamed it can cause pain and discomfort in the ears as well as the jaw. People might experience a muffled sound in the ears accompanied by pain. If you suspect TMJ is the culprit, visiting Bite Align for a TMJ consultation is the best place to start. With the right TMJ treatment, we can resolve your ear and jaw pain for good.

Symptoms of TMJ include clicking or popping noise in the jaw when opening and closing your mouth, pain when chewing, headaches or constant migraines, ear ringing, hearing loss, shoulder and neck pain, and even teeth shifting. Please schedule a consultation with us to learn more.

2. Dental Issues

If you have periodontal disease, cavities, dental abscesses, or a build-up of bacteria on your gums and teeth, it can cause severe pain in your jaw and ears. If you experience tooth sensitivity, pain in your face, loose teeth, sensitivity to cold or hot beverages, or swelling in the gums, it’s best to get checked out by your dentist. Treating your dental problems might be all you need to relieve jaw and ear pain.

3. Swimmer’s Ear

You may have experienced swimmer’s ear at some point in your life. It generally occurs from an injury like tearing the ear’s lining or water exposure that causes bacteria to form in the outer ear. These bacteria can cause painful symptoms like ear and jaw pain. If you believe you injured your ear or recently got water in your ear, visiting a doctor to see if you have swimmer’s ear can help you treat your pain.

4. Arthritis

Although most people don’t think about getting arthritis in the jaw, it can occur. Osteoarthritis can occur in the temporomandibular joint which can cause ear and jaw pain. It usually develops from wear and tear to the cartilage surrounding the joint over time. Rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis can also cause jaw and ear pain because it causes the immune system to attack healthy joints. This can cause joint pain throughout the body including the temporomandibular joint.

Get Treatment for Ear and Jaw Pain

One of the best ways to treat jaw and ear pain is to rule out what causes it. Visiting Bite Align in Fort Atkinson for a consultation can help you identify if TMJ is the cause or a condition that affects the temporomandibular joint. Please call 920-563-7323 or book an appointment online today.

What’s Causing Your Behind-the-Ear-Headache | Ear, Nose & Throat Associates

Posted on November 10, 2021 by Ear, Nose & Throat Associates

Pain behind your ear can be caused by several different factors. Sometimes it is related directly to a problem with the ear, while other times it might be caused by an issue with your jaw or even compressed nerves causing a headache. Depending on the cause, the pain might be described as:

• Burning
• Sharp
• Pressure behind ear
• Throbbing

Often there are other symptoms that accompany the pain that can help determine the cause. These include:

• Ear drainage
• Hearing difficulty
• Skin changes or rash
• Eye pain
• Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
• Tooth pain
• Tender jaw

Let’s examine a few of the main culprits of behind-the-ear pain.

Pain Related to Ear

There are several causes of behind-the-ear pain that are directly related to problems with the ear. These include ear infections, swimmer’s ear, and earwax compaction. Some clues your pain might be related to your ear include:

• Having a viral infection like a cold or flu
• Drainage from the ear
• Your hearing feels muffled or you have an earache
• You regularly swim at YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne or another local pool.
• You use a cotton swab to clean your ears, leading to a greater risk of earwax impaction.

Dental and Jaw Issues

Several dental conditions that can cause pain behind the ear include cavities, abscesses and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ). Signs that your pain may be related to a dental issue include:

• Tooth pain/sensitivity
• Swelling in the cheek/mouth area
• Jaw clicking or popping
• Jaw heaviness
• Headaches that are worse in the morning
• Jaw feels heavy or aches after eating

Occipital Neuralgia

Occipital neuralgia is a severe stabbing or shooting pain that spreads through the neck, back of the head, and behind the ears. While the condition is not fully understood, it is thought to be caused by pinched occipital nerves which start in your neck and run to the top of your head. If you experience any of the following, you may have occipital neuralgia:

• Vision issues
• Tenderness in the back of your head
• Tinnitus
• Dizziness

Rare But Serious­—Mastoiditis

Mastoiditis is a rare infection of the mastoid bone, located behind and below your ear. It is usually caused by an untreated ear infection. It can occur at any age but is most often seen in children under two. Symptoms include severe pain behind the ear, fever, and headache. If left untreated, mastoiditis can lead to serious conditions including:

• Meningitis
• Blood clots
• Hearing loss
• Facial nerve paralysis

If you or your child has any of the symptoms of mastoiditis, seek medical help immediately.

Bottom Line

Behind-the-ear pain has many different causes, some are relatively minor while others may be quite serious. Treating the pain depends largely on identifying the cause. Make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your pain and any additional symptoms so they can make an accurate diagnosis and help you feel better.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with an expert, call Ear, Nose & Throat Associates, P.C. today.

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Ear pain

Ear pain

Pain in the ear (or otalgia) is a condition that can be caused by various factors.

The nature of pain in the ear can be different: aching and “shooting”, pressing. At the same time, if pain sensations are localized mainly in the area of ​​​​the external auditory canal and intensify with pressure on the tragus, then this indicates in favor of otitis externa.

If the pain is localized mainly in the region of the middle ear and is accompanied by an increase in body temperature, then this indicates the development of otitis media.

If the pain is accompanied by dizziness, then this indicates damage to the internal parts of the ear.

Causes

• hypertrophy of lymph nodes in the region of the mouths of the Eustachian tubes and/or the lateral wall of the pharynx;
• inflammatory and changes in the root of the tongue and epiglottis;
• traumatic injuries of the ear and parotid tissues;
• adenoids;
• irritation of the temporal branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve;
• bacterial or viral infections;
• irritation of the intermediate nerve – branches of the facial nerve;
• diseases of the teeth and temporomandibular joint;
• irradiation of pain from areas innervated by the greater auricular, vagus, trigeminal and lesser occipital nerves;
• pathology of the cervical spine (with osteoarthritis, myalgia).

Classification

Depending on the cause:

• primary pain in the ear (otalgia) – characterized by constant pain in the ear as a result of damage to its structural sections: more often as a result of inflammation of the outer or middle ear sections; children get sick more often;
• secondary pain in the ear (otalgia) – characterized by periodic pain in the ear without violating the integrity of its structural sections: more often as a result of irradiation of pain from areas that are innervated by the vagus, large ear, trigeminal, small occipital nerves; in diseases of the temporomandibular joints and teeth; older people get sick more often.

Depending on the time characteristics:

• acute pain in the ear (otalgia) – short in time; easily identifiable cause; usually localized in a certain area; responds well to treatment;
• chronic pain in the ear (otalgia) – pain lasting about 6 months or more, the cause of the onset is difficult to identify; with inaccurate localization; poorly treatable.

Signs

In acute external limited otitis media:

• appearance of a furuncle in the ear canal;
• discharge from the ear, with a sharp unpleasant odor;
• irradiation of pain in the jaw and eye area;

In acute diffuse otitis externa:

• severe ear pain;
• fever;
• stuffy ear;
• discharge from the ear, with a sharp unpleasant odor;
• irradiation of pain in the jaw and eye area;

In acute suppurative otitis media:

• congestion and discomfort in the ear;
• sharp character of pain;
• purulent discharge from the ear;
• hearing loss;

In chronic otitis media:

• congestion and discomfort in the ear;
• dull, dull character of pain;
• catarrhal or purulent discharge from the ear;
• hearing loss;

In acute catarrhal otitis media:

• tinnitus;
• sharp character of pain;
• congestion and discomfort in the ear;
• hearing loss;
• catarrhal discharge from the ear;

With internal otitis (labyrinthitis):

• dizziness;
• tinnitus,
• pain in the ear;
• hearing loss;

With typical mastoiditis:

• severe reddening of the skin in the region of the mastoid process;
• pain when probing the mastoid process;

With atypical mastoiditis:

• mild pain;
• slight discharge of pus;
• severe reddening of the skin in the region of the mastoid process;
• pain when probing the mastoid process;

Lymphadenitis:

• swollen lymph nodes located behind the auricle;
• fever;
• headache;
• ear pain;

For osteoarthritis:

• joint pain in the cervical spine:
• indistinctly localized character of pain;
• increased pain on exertion;
• irradiation of pain in the ear;

Myalgia:

• muscle pain in the cervical spine;
• weakness and swelling of the affected area;
• irradiation of pain in the ear;

In severe periodontal disease, caries with pulpitis and periodontitis, basal granulomas:

• pain in the area of ​​the affected tooth;
• irradiation of pain in the ear area.

In what diseases occurs

• acute external limited otitis;
• acute diffuse otitis externa;
• chronic otitis media;
• acute suppurative otitis media;
• adenoids;
• acute catarrhal otitis media;
• otitis media (labyrinthitis) limited;
• diffuse labyrinthitis;
• purulent labyrinthitis;
• non-purulent (serous) labyrinthitis;
• necrotizing labyrinthitis;
• tympanogenic labyrinthitis;
• meningogenic otitis media;
• hematogenous internal otitis;
• typical mastoiditis;
• atypical mastoiditis;
• lymphadenitis;
• irritation of the temporal branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve;
• irritation of the intermediate nerve – branches of the facial nerve;
• irradiation of pain from areas innervated by the greater auricular, vagus, trigeminal and lesser occipital nerves;
• osteoarthritis;
• myalgia;
• severe periodontal disease;
• caries with pulpitis and periodontitis;
• hilar granulomas.

Doctors to contact

• otorhinolaryngologist;
• neurologist;
• dentist.

Flux on gums: causes, symptoms, treatment

Causes

Periostitis is of infectious and traumatic origin. In the first case, the flux on the gums is caused by the bacterial microflora of the oral cavity: staphylococci, streptococci, E. coli, yeast-like fungi. Pathogens penetrate into the periosteum tissues through bone canals, dentinal tubules, and cementum. Infection occurs from foci of tonsillitis, SARS, sinusitis, otitis media, scarlet fever, osteomyelitis.

Most often, dental diseases predispose to the appearance of a flux of an infectious origin:

• alveolitis (inflammation of the tooth socket),

• periodontitis (destruction of periodontal tissues),

• adentia (complete or partial absence of teeth),

• jaw cyst,

• inflammation of unerupted or partially erupted wisdom teeth,

• periodontitis (inflammatory lesions of the soft tissues around the tooth).

Traumatic periostitis is associated with damage to the periosteum:

• trauma or tooth extraction,

• open fracture of the jaw,

• surgical treatment.

The risk of periostitis increases local or general hypothermia, excessive emotional and physical stress, poor oral hygiene. Flux can be the result of untreated caries, the use of anesthetics and arsenic paste for root canal treatment.

Symptoms

Various forms of periostitis have specific clinical manifestations. Inflammation occurs in the lower or upper jaw. The flux begins with swelling of the soft tissues, redness of the mucous membrane at the site of the transitional fold, inflammation of the submandibular lymph nodes. As a rule, there is a “causal tooth” in the mouth with pulpitis or periodontitis.

Purulent periostitis occurs as an independent disease or is a symptom of osteomyelitis (infection and destruction of the jaw bones).

Purulent flux is characterized by:

Visually determine the swelling of the soft tissues of the maxillary zone. If the flux affects the upper jaw, the swelling extends to the upper lip, cervical, zygomatic and infraorbital region, the lower jaw – the chin and lower lip swell.

When examining the oral cavity, a subperiosteal abscess is found – a limited dense capsule filled with purulent contents. As periostitis progresses, pus penetrates under the gum, and together with its accumulation, a subgingival abscess is formed. Purulent contents can flow into the mouth through an opening – a fistula. Opening an abscess brings relief.

In chronic periostitis, periods of remission alternate with pain in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe “causative tooth”. The submandibular lymph nodes become inflamed, the configuration of the face changes, the mucous membrane of the oral cavity swells.

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Diagnostics

Abscess, swelling of the gums, pain and hyperemia are the main signs of flux. On examination, a destroyed tooth, untreated caries are found, which served as a source of inflammation of the periosteum.

Radiography reveals:

During the diagnosis, it is necessary to exclude osteomyelitis, abscess, sinusitis (inflammation of the paranasal sinuses), lymphadenitis (inflammation of the lymph nodes), perimaxillary phlegmon (melting of the subcutaneous tissue).

Treatment

The goal of therapy is to eliminate the focus of infection, prevent purulent complications, and save the tooth. Milk and severely damaged teeth are subject to removal, those that have retained functional activity require treatment.

Locally prescribed rinses with disinfectant solutions. To relieve pain, analgesics are taken, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to stop inflammation. Antibacterial agents are selected taking into account the mechanism of development of inflammation and the sensitivity of the infection. In the presence of foci of chronic infections, they are simultaneously sanitized (cleaned).

In addition to conservative treatment, physiotherapy methods are used:

• phonophoresis,

• electrophoresis,

• laser therapy,

• ultrasound,

• impulse currents.

As a rule, with a timely visit to the dentist, conservative measures are sufficient to resolve the flux.

Purulent flux on the gums is an indication for surgical treatment. Under local anesthesia, a purulent cavity is opened, a drain is inserted into the wound to drain the pus.

After the operation, patients are prescribed a sparing diet, antibacterial drugs, analgesics, antiseptic rinses.

Important! Flux complications, such as sepsis, osteomyelitis, brain abscess, soft tissue phlegmon, pose a threat to life.

The prognosis depends on timely seeking medical help and the quality of treatment. Under favorable conditions, the tooth can be saved, recovery occurs in 5-7 days.