It
is not unusual to have Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)
dysfunction and ear disorders coexisting and often as
related health issues.
Ear
disorders related to TMJ
symptoms
Ear
disorders that are related to a TMJ dysfunction are
typically manifested in the following manner (singly or
as multiple symptoms):
- A
feeling of fullness in the ear,
- Sensation
of pressure inside the ear,
- Ear
pain resulting from swelling in the proximal tissues,
- Eustachian
tube dysfunction in the inner
ear,
- Hearing
problems,
- Hearing
buzzing or ringing sounds in the
ear
How
can TMJ lead to ear disorders?
TMJ
syndrome is caused when the joint called
temporomandibular joint that connects the mandible to
the skull gets inflamed due to several reasons that can
include – stress, trauma, arthritis, injury,
dislocation, dental problems, teeth grinding,
neurological problems or other health issues related to
bones and tissues.
Since
this important joint is so closely located to the ears,
any disorder resulting in inflammation of the
temporomandibular joint regions can directly lead to
pressure, pain and discomfort in the ears. In most cases
of TMJ condition, ear disorders are a commonly
associated symptom.
Treatment
of TMJ and ear disorders
A
commonly noticed problem in TMJ and ear disorders is
that very often the symptoms of ear disorder gets
mistakenly treated for some ear infection or other ear
based issues instead of the primary cause of TMJ
dysfunction.
An individual can end up spending precious time
and energy trying to get rid of the ear discomfort
instead of looking into the real cause of the
problem.
It
is essential that the condition of TMJ disorder is
correctly understood in order to acquire a proper
diagnosis and undertake the right treatment for the root
cause instead of taking ear relief measures that can
only yield some temporary relief at the very best.
Additionally, some of the quick fix measures that one
takes recourse to in pursuit of relief from ear pain can
actually lead to other subsequent side effects. For
example, a lot of medications that are available as over
the counter drugs for pain relief can cause a lot of
harm. Moreover, such pain relief medications can lead a
user into a false belief that a solution has been
reached. There can be no permanent cure to ear disorders
that originate from TMJ condition without attention to
the root trouble that is created by the TMJ disorder.
Holistic
and multi disciplinary treatments are called for in
order to cure the root problems that can trigger TMJ ear
disorder.
