I read that you experience from ear fullness and ear noises? I'd like to compare symptoms with you if you don't mind.
Me:
- Ear Fullness
- Ear Fullness after noise exposure
- Ear Noise (wind sound)
- Pulsating Tinnitus (only hear it when it's quite)
- Tinnitus (ringing in ears - same as above)
- Ear Spasms (fluttering)
- Ear "clicking" when hearing sounds
- Ear "popping". It's like I can feel my E-Tubes closing and opening on their own. This can also be caused by breathing, I can sometimes lock it in where I can breathe and feel it open/closing
- Hyperacusis (sensitivity to noise - GETTING WORSE!)
How about you???
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The search for a diagnosis is long and painful...
I have all of these. And when I swallow or try to yawn it feels like I can hear the tubes going pop pop pop. I have fluid in one of the inner ears they have tried some antibootis but nothing has taken yet.
My ear problems are pretty limited to "fullness" and popping, and occasional fluttering. It has gotten a lot worse lately - it used to happen infrequently and now it is happening every day, for most of the day. It is only in my right ear, and seems to get worse when on an elevator, after exercising, or when I sniff or take a deep breath. The only thing that alliviates it is either holding my head upside down, or pressing on my neck (about where you would take your pulse). But, as soon as I swallow again, it pops again.
I've gone to an ENT who says there is no fluid and nothing wrong with my ear at all. I only learned it was TMJ-related two years ago from a friend who was getting her PhD in audiology. My dentist also concurred.
Based on what I have read on this board, it seems that a splint is the way to go. But, I must confess that I don't even know what that is. I used to have a bite guard, but then I got braces (a second time) so my bite guard no longer fits. Is a splint different than a bite guard? Any idea of the cost, and if insurance usually covers it? Thanks for your help!
I have all of these too. Amazingly one of my dentists told me noise alone cannot worsen TMJD, but I am sure that it can having experienced much worse TMJD symptoms after seeing a film, it was a comedy, I wasn't stressed, I was sitting comfortably, but it was LOUD, and when I came out I had awful spasms down my body, trembling and migrating pains. I even think my TMJ was partially triggered by noise, I woke one morning after trying to sleep (badly) through incredibly loud music from a neighbour and my ears were rumbling, that was the first unignorable TMJ symptom forme, I think the noise made me grind and clench and so precipitated the pains of TMJD and without it my TMJ disorder may not have developed so badly/stayed minimal and not really noticable, despite my having malocclusion and fairly chonic bruxism.
Isobel
[This message has been edited by Isobelj (edited 09-11-2003).]
The ear noises are bothering me, too. I almost always have a crackling sound in the ears when I swallow. I asked my surgeon about this ear noise and he told me to not worry about it becuase it's nothing to worry about. I also have had popping in my ears for about a month after my jaw stretch exercise. Whenever I started trying to speak I felt my Eustachian tubes popping and closing. It was one of the worst. I don't stretch exercise my jaw as much as before and I don't have ear popping anymore.
[This message has been edited by JanisYang (edited 09-11-2003).]
lashby -- Ear Problems 
