I am new to this forum. I am at wits end and I need to know if anyone else out there has chronic clogged ears, and vertigo? I feel like I am going mad. I get facial numbness too and have had every test in the book for everything from MS to Lupus and everything else under the sun. I was diagnosed with TMJ from many doctors. The final one scoped my sinus and ears down into my larnex. He was an ENT. The diagnosis was TMJ. I still cannot believe this to be true. I am at a neuromuscular dentist and a chiropractor now and a splint is being made for me by tomorrow. The anxiety is horrific to say the least and I have tried many meds for depression but they add insult to injury exasperating the dizziness. I am taking nothing right now but am failing at this misreably. I do not know what to do. Can anyone identify with this?
Hi,
You are not alone my MAIN symptom is ear pain and problems and I occasionally get the clogged ears. I also have vertigo but not very badly I will just sometimes get dizzy. Do you have ANY ear pain do to your TMJ???? Let me know!!
[This message has been edited by Ouch-ear-pain (edited 09-21-2003).]
Did they do the rotary chair/ENG and caloric tests? Hearing tests? These are the correct tests to ascertain if you have an inner ear disorder. Your symptoms could just be down to tmj, but until you've had those tests it's impossible to say. ENT's actually have very little further training in the inner ear, the specialists in this field are called neurotologists (different from neurologists) I have dizziness/vertigo and initially plugged ears, although thankfully the plugged ears have cleared up. I was diagnosed with tmj at 8 months in, but then at 10 months my general dizziness turned in to vertigo, I got sick of being messed around by ENT's and got a referral to neurotology - they did the CORRECT tests (because they know what they're doing, unlike ENT's who often don't) and was diagnosed with vestibular neuritis also - (similiar to labyrinthitis.)This means I have damage to one of my balance nerves.
Personally I believe anyone experiencing plugged ears and vertigo should never assume their problems are definitely tmjd related until they have been to a good neurotology department and had an inner ear disorder ruled out. There is a tonne of excellent info over on the inner ear disorder board. Neurotologists are super specialists in the ears/brain and dizziness - many people on the inner ear board were given the run around by ENT's before someone told them about neurotologists and they finally get the answers they're looking for.They are also very good at working out if something other than an inner disorder is causing your vertigo/plugged ears. If the tmjd diagnosis is correct they should be able to confirm this. Most ENT's don't bother to confess that dizziness is not their speciality (arrogance) or bother to tell their patients that these specialists exist. I think they work on the assumption that they can tell you what's wrong and why should you need someone with more training in this field than them. My GP didn't even know what a neurotologist was, but was very happy to refer me to one. You may notice I'm not very fond of ENT's - one told me I was a complete mystery - the other said I definitely didn't have an inner ear disorder. They were both completely wrong, I have both tmjd and vestibular neuritis - they missed BOTH entirely.
Apologies is you've already seen a neurotologist and had the tests I mentioned - if a neurotologist has told you your symptoms are caused by tmjd, after all the correct tests etc.. then they probably are. If not, see a neurotologist.
Most importantly, don't panic, these symptoms are not uncommon, there are many people on the inner ear board who will be able to relate to exactly what you're going through. There is help out there, it's just a question of seeing the right specialist. Also, the sooner you do this and start with the correct treatments, the quicker you are likely to experience relief.
[This message has been edited by hbep (edited 09-22-2003).]
[This message has been edited by hbep (edited 09-22-2003).]
One other thing. If you go to the inner ear disorder board, go in to the search engine and type 'Which specialist to see' in to the search engine, it will bring up an excellent article by a vestibular (balance) research nurse, who explains the stuff I've said above much better than I can.
Thank you for answering, folks. To hbep, yes, I had seen 5 ENT's. Have had a brain MRI, blood work up, facial CT, several internists, neurologist, etc. Of the five ENT's they came up with several diagnoses, and all were different. Non had seen fluid in the ear. Five hearing tests proved normal. Two said I had Meneire's and said it was just a quess. Two wanted to put tubes in my ears, regardless of no fluid. The last one scoped me and actually saw the eustachian tube from the inside, whereas the other clowns told me that they weren't able to view my eustachain tube from the inside. Yeah, right. He told me the tubes were functioning normally, not patulous, not blocked. So I accepted his word. He was the one who told me that I had TMJ after handing me a print out from JAMA. He said he sees patients constantly with the same complaints. I even went to a ReHAb place to be evaluated for balance disorders and they did the excersises that induce eye movements and vertigo. The tech thought that it was not coming from the inner ear. So I scrapped that. My sinuses seem to be involved too. They feel swollen way inside. I was told that my head is in huge spasm. I have alot of anxiety and stress over this. The amount of doctors I had seen is unbelieveable. I was even told by an internist that I had a pituitary tumor because my cortisol level was high. After seeing an Endocronologist, that was ruled out. Now I am in a Psychologists couch twice a week. I cant cope any longer. I have a daily panic attack as soon as I wake up. I know the rest of the day is going to be hell on earth. I am an active person, a mom, and a wife. I cannot function. My family is at wits end and my adult children run away from me now. This is effecting my marriage. I would rather die. No suicide thoughts, but sometimes I feel I should never wake up in the morning. I had gone 10 months with no answers. Just speculations. I am reaching out to the world on this internet to see if I am crazy and alone, or if others are like me. I don't even know what caused this! I have read about Burt Reynolds and his personal hell with TMJ for 4 years. He lost weight and everyone thought he had AIDS. Turned out to be his TMJ. He had tubes in his ears, he had vertigo and he was misreable. I tried to write to him on the net, but being a celeb. that was impossible. I wonder if he reads this sight. He had dental work and his problem went away. That is so the story goes, anyway. I just cannot believe that the TMJ can effect the head in this fashion. The neuromuscular dentist told me that 30% of the nerves go through the joint into the brain and if they are compressed it sends referred pain and numbness to other areas. I could go on and on, but I will stop complaining now. I think of other people with cancer and somehow this seems small. God Bless us all.......
vertigo and clogged ears from TMJ 
Do you have ANY ear pain do to your TMJ???? Let me know!!
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