What’s that ringing sound? Do you suffer from persistent ringing of the ears, even when there’s no logical explanation? You could possibly be suffering from a condition called tinnitus. Tinnitus is a condition that, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), affects about 15 percent of the US population, or about 50 million people. Around the world, the numbers show that roughly 750 million people across the globe have the disorder.
Tinnitus is a ringing, roaring, hissing, clicking, or buzzing sound in the ears. It can be caused by many things, including an injury to the ears, an issue with the circulatory system, or age-related hearing loss. But one particular cause of tinnitus could be related to your oral health.
It’s called temporomandibular jaw dysfunction, and it occurs when the temporomandibular joint of the jaw becomes detached from the socket of the skull, where the jaw bone attaches to the jaw.
This, in turn, can cause plenty of pain in the jaw, including pain in chewing, breathing, speaking, and opening or closing the mouth. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction is also known for causing neck and back pain and migraine headaches. But one symptom of temporomandibular joint dysfunction that many people don’t know about is, you guessed it, tinnitus.
While it is not known precisely why people with temporomandibular joint dysfunction experience tinnitus, it is suspected to be due to the temporomandibular joint’s proximity to the ears. The pain from temporomandibular joint dysfunction can radiate throughout the head and upper body, causing that annoying ringing sound.
While tinnitus has no cure, treatment options are available for temporomandibular joint dysfunction. These treatment options include orthodontics, bite guards, mandibular orthotic devices, massage, physical therapy, or warm compresses.
While your temporomandibular joint dysfunction treatment may take time to complete, hopefully, as your symptoms improve, so will your other conditions, including migraines, muscle pains, and even tinnitus, will lessen in severity or subside entirely.
If you are interested in learning more about treating your temporomandibular joint dysfunction treatment options or suspect you may have temporomandibular joint dysfunction due to unexplained tinnitus, don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Abelar’s office today.
