TMJ Tinnitus Information
TMJ Tinnitus is a condition that can be described as hearing ringing in the ears (tinnitus) caused by TMJ or temporomandibular joint disorder. The condition can bring you a lot of pain and discomfort which can disrupt your daily flow of activities. In this article, we’ll help you understand the reason behind your problem and what steps you can do in order to experience relief from presenting symptoms.
Causes of TMJ
There are many causes of TMJ and one of them is the surgical manipulation of the neck muscles. Some people have problems with their jaw joints after a surgery that involved their muscles for chewing. Another common cause of TMJ is trauma to the head and neck area due to falls, vehicular accidents, or during birth. For some who are unlucky, TMJ symptoms often appear after weeks, months or even years.
Symptoms of TMJ
TMJ can have different manifestations, and most of them are mostly isolated in the head region
Eyes
- Blurred or double vision
Ears
- Ringing in ears
- Dizziness and/or vertigo
- Ear pain
- Difficulty in hearing
- Feeling of pressure or stuffiness inside the ears
Jaw and neck
- Clicking joint noises
- Neck pain
- Frequent sore throat
Head and face
- Pain around the maxillary sinus
- Migraine
Linking TMJ Tinnitus
Nearly half of the patients who have TMJ experience tinnitus. Two of your chewing muscles (called the tensor tympani and the tensor levi palatini) are attached to your ear drum and Eustachian tube respectively. Problems with these muscles can result to ringing ears as these muscles help stabilize the said ear structures. Aside from that, the spasmodic action of the neck muscles can push the jawbone back, resulting to a nerve compression that manifests as ear pain or tinnitus.
In order to experience freedom from TMJ tinnitus, a combination of treatments that address both TMJ and tinnitus must be applied.
TMJ tinnitus treatments
A thorough assessment must be done first in order to confirm the status of your TMJ, as well as for proper referrals to physicians and specialists. The usual TMJ treatment typically involves different procedures that for the goal of stimulating your muscles and joints to go back to their normal function. Such procedures are often non-invasive, as in the case of using an electrical stimulation machine designed to help control and relax muscular spasm. Other non-surgical procedures include moist heat and cryotherapy, which are used in conjunction with recommended orthopedic appliances to help realign the ball sockets of your jaws in their proper place.
TMJ tinnitus treatments for lessening the ringing sound often involve using maskers or white noise generators that will help “mask” the tinnitus. Exercise is also recommended as physical activity can help your body produce relaxing hormones that will control the muscular spasm and ease the noise. Stress management techniques such as yoga, taichi, and meditation can also help reduce the ringing noise. Your diet can plays a role in your condition, so avoid caffeinated beverages like soda, tea, coffee, or energy drinks.
Do not lose hope. Treating and managing TMJ tinnitus can take months and sometimes years depending on your condition. You must work with your physicians and therapist by making sure that you comply with medications and always keep the regular schedule of therapy. If one treatment does not work, ask for a different treatment. Each management offers different forms of relief for people. That means that even though a treatment will work for one person, it may not work for you. The only way to know is to keep an open mind during your TMJ tinnitus treatment and allow a certain amount of time before you decide to change into a new one.
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