When It Looks Like a Duck, But Isn’t a Duck- Hiding Behind Ear Pain

When you think of ear pain, you probably think it’s an ear infection, but did you know that not all ear pain results from an infection?

One of the most common yet underdiagnosed reasons for ear pain is temporomandibular joint disorders, or TMDs.

Although TMDs often stem from an issue with your jaw joints (TMJs), they can cause ear pain and other ear issues.

The TMJs are what connect your jawbone to your skull. They allow your jaw to move up and down, back and forth, and even enable it to slide left to right when you speak, chew and swallow.

In this blog, we explain why the TMJs are linked to ear pain and other problems with the ear and how to find relief.

As we said, the TMJs are the joints that connect the lower jaw (mandible) to the skull at the temporal bone. The TMJs are made up of the bones and cartilage of the joint and a small cartilage disk inside the joint.

When the TMJs become worn or the disk in the joint becomes damaged or out of alignment, the results can be painful.

While the causes of TMDs are often unclear, in most cases, discomfort in the TMJs can occur due to an injury to the jaw, osteoarthritis (bruxism), teeth grinding and a misaligned bite. Some people also develop TMD as a result of excessive gum chewing. To learn more visit our page on TMJ disorder.

There are three primary types of TMDs:

• Myofascial pain. This is the most common type of TMJ disorder and is frequently caused by a misaligned bite. The primary symptom is aching pain deep in the muscles of the jaw joint.
• Internal derangement of the TMJ: This situation is usually a result of injury or trauma to the joint.
• Degenerative conditions: Degenerative joint conditions such as osteoarthritis can negatively impact the TMJs.

The pain of TMJ disorders can be dull or sharp. Some patients report that their pain is constant, while others experience sudden bursts of pain.

For some, their pain can become more noticeable over time. Typically it may show up when you move your jaw during talking, chewing, swallowing or yawning.

Beyond ear and jaw pain, other TMD symptoms include soreness in the muscles and tissue along the side of your head. This soreness can spread to your neck, temple, cheek, face and lower jaw. Many people feel pain in their teeth as well.

Other common symptoms of TMD include:

• A clicking/popping sound when opening and closing the mouth
• Locking of the joint or feeling as if the jaw joint is going to lock
• Difficulty opening the mouth or jaw stiffness
• Ringing sound in the ear known as tinnitus

If you have pain in your ear, we recommend that you talk to your doctor if these other symptoms are present.

Back to ear pain. Why does your ear hurt if you have TMD? Ear pain is associated with TMD because the TMJs are located near the ear canal.

When a joint is inflamed, it can cause pain in the ear. It can also lead to a ringing sound in the ear, also known as tinnitus. Ear pain associated with TMD is often a sharp, stabbing sensation.

When most people have ear pain, they think they have an ear infection and visit their doctor or an ENT specialist, but when no infection can be found, they become frustrated with no answer while they’re dealing with ear pain.

Treatment for disorders of the TMJs varies and depends on the cause of your case and how severe it is. For mild cases, self-care remedies to reduce soreness and tension in the joint may help. These remedies include:

• Eating soft foods
• Relaxation techniques
• Exercises designed to help your jaw muscles relax
• Avoiding chewing gum and very chewy foods
• Alternating moist heat and ice on the jaw to bring relief
• Avoid clenching or tensing your jaw
• Apply moist heat to the area

Anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or naproxen and muscle relaxants can also help relieve uncomfortable TMD symptoms.

But, for long-term relief, we recommend that you talk to us about your treatment options. In many cases, we can help relieve your TMJ pain with an oral appliance that can help correct problems with the upper and lower teeth, which is often the cause of issues with the TMJs.

Are you experiencing unexplained ear pain, ringing in the ears or spells of dizziness? If your earache is a sign of TMJ disorder, the good news is that we can help.

Call us today to schedule a consultation.

Ways TMD Can Impact on An Individual’s Hearing

Ways TMD Can Impact on An Individual’s Hearing – Dental Wellness Group

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Posted at 00:55h
in Dental Services, TMD, TMJ Disorder
by Anastasia

Hearing Loss and TMJ

Deafness is a very rampant problem which afflicts millions of people of varying age groups. Although old age is a major precursor in bad hearing, it cannot truly and fully explain hearing loss. Another often underestimated cause of this illness which could be playing a prominent role: the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).

It doesn’t take rocket science for one to know that the TMJ is very much associated to the ear and can cause problems to this very delicate organ. Individuals who suffer from temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) may endure ear pains for quite a while. They may often consult an ear expert who tells them that their ear is in good condition and end up pointing to allergies or just live on with it without any explanation.

However, ear pains although mostly very discomforting are just a part of the problem. Many TMD sufferers discover that tinnitus and hearing loss can start as a result of TMJ problems, and it can be very hard to get an accurate diagnosis. Many are told that they need hearing aids, meanwhile it’s the jaw problem at work.

Since the ears are very delicate and important to full body balance, many people with TMD also experience dizziness and nausea problems too.

How TMJ Affects the Ears

Pains in the jaw joint can move to the ear simply because of its closeness to the organ. The TMJ is situated near the ear, so swelling of the jaw always has an effect on the ear.

This inflammation also leads to stuffed up Eustachian tubes which causes congestion and an uncomfortable feeling in the ear and difficulty in hearing. If the fluids present in these tubes are not removed through the normal process, hearing is most definitely going to be affected.

Nerves close to the ears may also feel painful feelings from the  TMJ and this hampers hearing ability.

Ways to Treat TMJ-Related Hearing Issues

 Hearing is a very sophisticated process and many factors are involved in any hearing loss. If you encounter other signs of TMD such as jaw aches, migraines, stiffness or trouble opening the mouth wide, Contact TMJ dentist Dr. Afsaneh Moradi for a thorough diagnosis. Many times when TMD is cured, problems like hearing loss are very easy to stop.

If you cannot hear very well, you could be missing all the sweet sounds life has to make. Call Dr. Afsaneh Moradi to elaborate on your TMD signs and hop on the healing bandwagon now!

Call us at 713-590-9777

Types and symptoms of ear diseases, what hearing diseases are

Contents:

• How ear diseases are diagnosed
• Treatment of diseases of the ear

Types and symptoms of ear diseases

Almost all ear diseases, inflammatory, non-inflammatory, fungal, caused by trauma, have a similar clinical picture.

Eustachitis

This is an inflammatory disease of the auditory canal (it is called the Eustachian tube), which has an infectious nature. Due to inflammation, air exchange in the ear cavity is disturbed, which leads to otitis media.

The disease manifests itself as:

• pain and discomfort;
• sensation of the presence of fluid in the auditory canal;
• hearing loss;

90,007 indistinct noises and crackles in the inflamed ear.

If the process continues to develop and passes into the purulent stage, the temperature rises. All symptoms are worse when the person is in motion.

Mastoiditis

It is also an inflammatory disease and has an infectious nature. Inflammation of the inner ear often develops as a complication of the pathological process in the ear canal.

Symptoms are more intense:

• temperature rises sharply and reaches 39.0 – 39.5 degrees;
• general health worsens: weakness occurs, signs of intoxication increase;
• there is a throbbing pain, accompanied by hearing loss;
• appears purulent discharge;
• The outer part of the ear is swollen.

One of the obvious and early signs of mastoiditis is dizziness that appears without warning, suddenly.

Meniere’s disease

Disease, the main manifestation of which is increased pressure in the ear labyrinth. Because of it, the normal functioning of blood vessels is disrupted, so fluid gradually accumulates in the labyrinth. Why there is increased pressure in this area has not yet been fully elucidated. The disease can be stopped, but it is not yet possible to achieve a complete cure.

Main symptoms:

• paroxysmal sudden hearing loss;
• dizziness;
• imbalance, nausea;
• tinnitus is regular;
• Loud noise increases discomfort.

Neuritis of the auditory nerve (cochlear neuritis)

It occurs frequently and almost always acquires a chronic course. The inflammatory process affects the nerve plexuses of the inner ear. Symptoms are hearing impairment and the appearance of “extra” noise in the form of rustling. It is usually diagnosed in people over 50 years of age. A serious complication of the disease is necrosis, leading to progressive deafness that cannot be cured.

Otitis and tympanitis

Otitis is a group of infectious and inflammatory pathological processes affecting various parts of the ear. Tympanitis is a type of otitis media that affects the eardrum. Otitis media is often diagnosed in children and the elderly. Otitis is divided according to the place of occurrence into external, middle and internal. The latter sometimes has its own name – labyrinthite.

Symptoms of otitis media:

• sharp pain and throbbing, aggravated by moving the jaw;
• fever, feeling unwell, lethargy;
• stuffiness in the ear;
• may cause short-term hearing loss;
• enlarged lymph nodes.

If there are complications, the process becomes purulent (mesotympanitis), sometimes it also affects the bone tissue (epithympanitis).

Otomycosis

Disease caused by fungi (mold, yeast-like). Fungal infection is characteristic of the outer or middle sections. The first stage is asymptomatic, then the clinical picture becomes more pronounced.

• Worried about persistent itching;
• painful sores appear, sometimes with suppuration;
• there is a headache on the side of the affected ear;
• discharge appears, there is a feeling of congestion;
• pinna painful and sensitive.

Diagnosis of otomycosis is often made with metabolic problems such as diabetes, after chemotherapy sessions, with HIV status that causes a decline in immunity.

Otosclerosis

Refers to hereditary family pathologies. When the disease affects the bone tissue in the inner ear. It is diagnosed more often in premenopausal women, but the initial manifestations can be observed at a younger age. If not treated, it will lead to irreversible bilateral hearing loss.

Signs indicating possible atherosclerosis:

• gradual hearing loss without clear cause;
• appearance of tinnitus, or only in one ear;
• occasional dizziness;
• in a noisier environment, the patient begins to hear better;
• imbalances appear.

If several of the above symptoms appear, an appointment with an otolaryngologist is required.

Otogenic sepsis

A complication that occurs if purulent inflammation in the middle ear region becomes further widespread. The infection enters the general blood flow through the lymphatic vessels.

The complication is more common in young people. Symptoms increase sharply:

• temperature jumps;
• chilliness alternating with excessive sweating;
• worried about tachycardia, shortness of breath;
• there is a lack of appetite;
• health deteriorates sharply.

This condition is a medical emergency. For urgent surgical intervention, the patient is urgently hospitalized in the clinic.

Earplug

This is the name of a thick clot of earwax. It can clog the ear canal, which will lead to the following unpleasant manifestations:

• a foreign body is felt in the ear, congestion worries;
• hearing loss;
• cough and yawning may occur;
• sometimes there is discomfort similar to motion sickness while driving.

It is not uncommon for these symptoms to appear after bathing, as the clot of earwax swells with water and can block the passage.

Ear injuries

The eardrum can be damaged if the pressure drops too quickly. This can happen in the air, or in water at a sufficient depth. Sometimes the eardrum is damaged by strong acoustic vibrations – very loud sounds and strong noises. Damage causes bleeding and pain. If the eardrum is damaged mechanically, for example, with a sharp object, or when struck, dizziness and ringing in the ear occur.

An ear injury is characterized by a short-term severe hearing loss.

Development of neoplasms of various nature is possible. The tumor appears in the auricle, or near it, the occurrence of a tumor in another department is a very rare phenomenon. Neoplasms grow slowly and are usually painless.

How are ear diseases diagnosed? The otolaryngologist examines the outer part of the ear, and if this is not enough for diagnosis, he prescribes instrumental and hardware studies.

• Otoscopy is a painless method of examining the outer ear using an otoscope. This is an instrument that looks like a tube with a light. It helps to reveal hidden infections, injuries, and also to detect a foreign body.
• Tympanometry is an acoustic method for studying the functionality of the auditory tube and the mobility of the ossicles in the middle ear.
• Audiometry – a test for the study of hearing acuity. It is carried out by an audiologist on a computer.
• X-ray of the ear and temporal bone – recommended for inflammatory pathologies. Helps to identify pathological changes in the inner ear.
• ultrasound.
• Computed tomography.
• Bacterial culture is performed for discharge and suspected bacterial infection. It detects the sensitivity of bacteria to antibiotics, which allows you to choose the best therapy. In chronic ear infections, a complete blood count is prescribed.

Treatment of ear diseases

In the Bibirevo Central Clinic, the treatment regimen is selected by an otolaryngologist after a thorough diagnosis. Self-medication is not applicable. The main goal of complex treatment is to eliminate inflammation, remove pain. If the disease is chronic, it is important to extend the period of remission.

The following groups of drugs are prescribed for the treatment of ear diseases:

• Antibiotics in the form of tablets or drops (if a bacterial infection is detected).
• Analgesics.
• Antiseptic solutions for washing the affected ear.
• Anti-inflammatory ointments that are placed in the ear canal with the help of turundas.
• Nasopharyngeal vasoconstrictor drops.
• Hormonal preparations (for medical reasons).

Physiotherapeutic procedures are effective, but they are used only after the acute period of the disease has been removed. Physiotherapy is prescribed only by a doctor. If a fungal disease is diagnosed, thermal procedures and physiotherapy are prohibited. If ear problems are caused by a sulfur plug, manipulations are applied to make it softer.

If a purulent process is detected, surgery is most often prescribed.

To eliminate hearing loss, tympanoplasty is prescribed: a microsurgical manipulation that restores sound conductivity.

Prosthetics are offered for complex and advanced cases with significant hearing loss.

An otolaryngologist should be visited once a year, especially when there is a tendency to otitis and other inflammatory phenomena.

If you have a history of hearing loss in your family, you should see your doctor regularly after age 40.

Panova Natalya Alekseevna

Otolaryngologist (ENT)
Work experience — 40 years

Ear diseases: symptoms, treatment and prevention

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Ear diseases: symptoms, treatment and prevention Cases of moderate and mild severity have a much higher percentage, since they are often the result of colds and infectious lesions. Mild forms respond well to treatment, but moderate and severe forms can pose a real threat not only to health, but also to life.

How the ear works

Our ear is made up of three parts – outer, middle and inner. The outer section – the auricle, ear canal and eardrum – works as a “locator”: it catches the sound and transmits it further, to the middle section.

The middle section is the tympanic cavity between the tympanic membrane and the opening of the temporal bone. Here are the sound bones that conduct sound to the inner ear: hammer, anvil, stirrup. They alternately transmit sound waves received from the vibrations of the eardrum.

The inner section, also known as the inner ear, forms the cochlea – a complex system of canals of the temporal bone. Because of this, it is also called the “maze”. From the inside, the cochlea is filled with fluid, and the walls have hair cells that convert fluid vibrations into nerve impulses, which are distributed to the brain with the help of the auditory nerve. This allows the brain to determine the position of the body even if there is no visual information.

Ear diseases

Ear diseases affect people of all ages and professions. The only difference is that someone gets to see a doctor more often. For example, people working in a noisy place (construction site, club, concert hall), water sports enthusiasts, patients with chronic and congenital hearing and ear pathologies.

Ear diseases are divided into types due to their occurrence:

• congenital – the disease is associated with an anatomical or physiological deformity in the development of any of the three parts of the ear. Such a pathology may be hereditary or be the result of a developmental disorder;
• traumatic – consequences of trauma: a loud sharp sound, mechanical damage to the eardrum during ear cleaning;
• infectious – the result of the activity of fungi, bacteria and viruses that enter the ear canal through the outer ear or with the bloodstream in the presence of inflammatory diseases.

Ear diseases and their symptoms are so varied that self-diagnosis is very dangerous.

The course of diseases has two forms: acute and chronic. The acute form is characterized by a sharp onset of symptoms and sudden pain attacks, forcing you to immediately seek medical help. The chronic form can accompany the patient for years and develops as a result of incorrect or late treatment.

Diseases of the inner ear

Pathologies of the inner ear are associated with damage to the auditory or vestibular apparatus. They are accompanied by a decrease in hearing acuity and loss of balance.

Symptoms of inner ear disease:

• tinnitus;
• attacks of vertigo;
• weakness.

If the disease has an infectious origin, then the inflammatory process begins soon. It is dangerous because the inner ear is directly connected to the cranium, so the brain becomes the next affected area. But this can happen if the patient does not seek help for a long time and self-medicates, that is, it gives the disease the opportunity to become severe. Then surgical intervention and prosthetics are prescribed in order to preserve the remnants of hearing. In other cases, drug therapy has proven itself well.

Diseases of the middle ear

Pathologies of the middle ear have different causes for the appearance, because this anatomical region is associated with the nasopharynx, outer and inner ear, that is, it occurs exactly at the epicenter of events if some pathological process begins in neighboring departments. The middle ear, like some kind of gate, can serve to spread the pathology to the tissues of the head and nearby organs. For example, otitis media can lead to facial paralysis or meningitis.

Diseases of the middle ear are a frequent occurrence in the clinical picture of children, because in the first years of life most of them suffer from chronic rhinitis. In adults, the ears suffer after hypothermia of the head and colds – as a rule, they also reduce hearing.

If the cause of the disease is an infection, then pus accumulates in the ear cavity, which either goes out or moves into the inner ear, distorting or tearing the eardrum.

Inflammatory processes and tumors of the middle ear can lead to irreversible deformation of the three auditory ossicles responsible for the transformation and transmission of sound to the brain. In this case, the problem is solved only by prosthetics.

Diseases of the external ear

The auricle mainly suffers from mechanical stress and inflammation. Mechanical impact refers to injuries and improper hygienic cleaning techniques. Both factors often cause the development of otitis externa.

In people with impaired metabolism, boils often appear in the auricle area. Attempts to remove it yourself or improper treatment cause complications of the pathology.

Otitis externa is a disease of swimmers because the ears of watersports enthusiasts experience severe stress from pressure drops during diving. And the water itself, even in a chlorinated pool, is a source and a favorable environment for various infections. Therefore, when swimming, it is recommended to protect your ears with special earplugs.

What to do if your ear hurts

The only option is to see an otolaryngologist. First, he will conduct an examination and make an accurate diagnosis with subsequent treatment. Secondly, consultation can detect more serious problems in a timely manner. For example, developing purulent processes. In the future, this will save you from hearing loss.

Prevention of ear disease

There is no complete hearing prosthesis, so it is important to preserve what is given by nature:

• wear hats in cold and windy weather;
• for hygienic cleaning of the ears, it is better to turn to the ENT, because cotton swabs, pencils, matches, paper clips will only thicken the sulfur secretions and thereby help the formation of a sulfur plug near the eardrum. Our ear is able to independently cleanse itself of waste, but our actions only hinder it in this;
• when working with loud sounds or music, special sound-absorbing headphones or ear plugs should be worn;
• diseases of the throat and nasopharynx need to be treated – they easily spread to the hearing organs;
• preventive visits to the otolaryngologist will help to detect changes and diseases of the ear at the earliest stages.