This can be TMJ or kind of MD?

Dear everybody,

I am new in this forum. First of all, excuse me if I am not in the right forum to make this consultation, hope anyone could help me. I have a problem for long time and I would like to listen your opinions.

I am gonna try to sum it up:

When I was 16, I woke up one day and something changed. My ears feel plugged, or full, I don't know how to explain, at the same time, I had the impression that I didn't hear well, like all sounds were muffled. I remember I went to the GP and he derivated me to the ENT. Meanwhile, I decided to visit an audiologist to make an examination. Was really surprising that my hearing examination was good, or better said, excellent. However, I was very sad, because even if you don't believe me, I swear that I cannot hear well.

The ENT then ordered another test. Same result, so nothing to worry about. At least for him, because I started to feel very depressed. That sensation in the ear is desperating. However, he suggested me visiting a dentist.

I had orthodontics and now my teeth look much better, it seemed my mouth was misaligned. However, it didn't solve the problem. I just felt relief when I failed in a depression and the doctor gave me pills for that.

Around 6 years later, I started to have serious problems with my TMJ. I had pain that it didn't let me sleep or even opening the mouth properly. I am a musician and this really bothered me. However, with the past of years I could deal with that.

With 25 years, again depressed because this ear problem, I went to another ENT. I had a test battery including camera tubes, audiogram and tympanogram. Everything was fine. In this moment the ENT suggested I could have excess of liquids in my ears (Later I investigate this is the hydrops). He gave me diuretic pills and low salt diet, however, this was not useful at all. Later I visited a Neurologist. As you can imagine, BERA and brain MRI was OK.

12 years after this issue, I still have this fullness and deafness sensation in my ears, it is 24/7. The audiograms are still ok, and I never experienced any vertigo.

Sometimes I experience high-pitch tinnitus and some of them are really loud and disappear in a few seconds.


What do you think? Do you believe that I could have any kind of hydrops? does anyone experienced problems with TMJ like me?


Thanks a lot for your patience and your help.

Best whises,

T.

 

Dear BT1,

I can't express how much grateful I am for your response . I feel sorry that you are suffering from both MD and TMJ. Hope you are dealing with it!

Sometimes, I have tinnitus that lasts for days, it is very high pitched (Around 10000 Hz) but not very disturbing. This one always comes when my TMJ/Shoulder/Neck extra tension, so I always linked it with that.

Like you, I confess that I don't really use to have pain in my TMJ, it is more described... as a sensation of discomfort, maybe? But believe me, is not better than pain.

Once again, thanks a lot for sharing me your experience!