I have just been told by an ENT specialist that what I had thought was a chronic middle ear/eustachian tube dysfunction problem is actually TMJ. How could my symptoms which include weird ear noises(buzzing, ringing,and the sound of a high pitched telegraph)and ear pain be caused by my jaw? The ENT ruled out ear infection,middle ear fluid,and my hearing test came out normal/excellent.He also ruled out an auditory tumor. I do have a popping/grating noise when I open my mouth wide,and I do have a horridly stressful life(family members with serious illnesses). But how can TMJ make my ears have those noises and pains? Thanx!
Follow Ups:
Re: TMJ
Posted by Mari Hall on December 25, 1998 at 17:30:10:
In Reply to: TMJ posted by katlin on December 25, 1998 at 02:36:23:
this occurs because your jaw is really out of line. Find a neurologist who knows about Muscle Response Testing and they will cler this up foryou painlessly. MRT is a means of analyzing the body by testing "blockages" in a noninvasive, holistic technique that can identify imbalances. There utilize acupunture meridians that run up and down the body to check for an impeded flow of energy. One the imbalance is identified (you already know it is TMJ so tell the neurologist) an herb, medication or representation of a physical treatment is introduced into the energy meridian. In Texas Chiropractors can also do this. Check with everyone you call, just let the yellow pages do the walking.
Re: TMJ
Posted by Walt Stoll on December 26, 1998 at 08:54:28:
In Reply to: TMJ posted by katlin on December 25, 1998 at 02:36:23:
Dear Katlin,
These are classical symptoms of chronic TMJ. The sad thing is that your current medical advisors had to run lots of tests to rule out all the rare things it could be before they finally settled on the most common thing it could be.
It reminds me of one of the sayings we were taught in medical school 40 years ago: "If you hear hoofbeats in Kentucky, you don't look for zebras!"
Unfortunately, there is so much money to be made running tests that everyone looks for the zebras first.
You have to give them credit though, for the past 20 years while we tried to get them to think about TMJ, they were busy taking the licenses from poineering dentists who had learned about it and tried to teach their colleagues about it. They were called quacks and frauds. Now, of course, they have been vindicated and the ones still alive have been given back their licenses---no apologies for ruining their careers and no compensation for damages.
Anyhow, now that I have vented my spleen about this, just go to the librery and ask the reference librarian to find you an atlas of human anatomy with a saggital section through the TMJ. You will immediately see the answers to your questions.
NOW, it is your job to learn enough about this that the same "naysayers" about TMJ in the past do not subject you to the barbaric treatments they have come up with to attempt to treat the symptoms without doing anything about the causes.
You can learn what to do about it by going to the archives for this BB and reading everything you can find about TMJ, Total Body Bracing and hypothalamic stress-effect storage.
THEN, if you still have questions, write again.
Walt