Hi Everyone, I’m Priya Mistry the TMJ doc and today I’m going to talk to you about Tinnitus - or ear ringing-
and TMJ Disorders. I can’t tell you how many people have reached out to me asking me why I don’t
generally talk about Tinnitus, how it’s connected to TMJD, what causes Tinnitus, if our treatment resolves Tinnitus, and more. I'll admit to sitting on
those questions for a while and I finally decided to make this video about Tinnitus even though I do not have
all the answers about this very confusing and sometimes debilitating condition. That being said, if you’re looking for more information
about TMJ Disorders for yourself or for a loved one, then this is the YouTube channel for you. Hit that
Subscribe button as I post a new informational video every Friday for people who are suffering from TMJ Disorders.
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a general dentist with a practice dedicated
to taking care of patients with TMJ disorders. I practice in Portland, Oregon with
my mentor, Dr. Arthur L Parker. Please be sure to follow me on Instagram as I post
about TMJD quite frequently! My Instagram handle is "the_TMJ_doc". Also check out my
Twitter account - tweet tweet. My twitter handle is "@PriyaTMJ" and I will admit to not being as active on Twitter as I am on Instagram.
On my social media accounts, I post lots of useful information about TMJ disorders, tips, trivia, hits, information, muscle releases, etc,
things that you can do at home to get some releif.. so please follow me on social media if you like to like to nerd out on TMJ information like I do!
So let’s get right into it! What, exactly, is Tinnitus? According to the Mayo Clinic, “Tinnitus
is when you experience ringing or other noises in one or both of your ears. The noise you hear when
you have tinnitus is not caused by an external sound, and other people usually cannot hear it.
Tinnitus is a common problem that affects about 15% to 20% of people, and is especially common
in older adults.” The noises associated with Tinnitus range from a low roar to a high squeal.
What causes Tinnitus, you ask? The causes of Tinnitus are vast and varied and
include but are not limited to: hearing loss, ear infection, ear canal blockage,
head and neck injuries, medications, Meniere’s Disease, eustachian tube dysfunction,
muscle spasms in the inner ear, TMJ Disorders - yes TMJD can be a cause! - blood vessel disorders,
ear bone changes, diabetes, thyroid problems, autoimmune disorders, and more!
This is what makes tinnitus one of the most complex symptoms I see and it sort of leaves all of us TMJ
Dentists confused on how exactly to treat it and get predictable results every single time.
Many of my TMJD patients do NOT have tinnitus. Of the ones that do have Tinnitus, some have reported that
Tinnitus was present well before the other TMJD symptoms started, and some have said that it
came on at the same time that the other TMJD symptoms came on. For some of our patients,
that Tinnitus is debilitating and for others, it’s very manageable. So what’s the solution, you ask? Well, my friends,
I can’t tell you how much I wish I had one for you. The main reason I've stayed away from
talking about Tinnitus is because we have yet to find an effective treatment modality for it.
Tinnitus is the ONE symptom that has proven to be highly unpredictable in terms of how it responds
to our treatment - which consists of custom orthotics, myofascial release, and osteopathic
manual jaw manipulation. We have seen Tinnitus get better for a very few number of patients, but mostly it remains
unchanged throughout our patient’s treatment. We are VERY upfront about this from the first
appointment as we never want to create false hope about “solving” or getting rid of someone's Tinnitus.
I truly wish I had more information about this symptom, which for some people can be truly debilitating.
So that’s really it my friends. If you like what you heard or learned something new,
click “Like” below, Subscribe to my channel, do all the things..
As always, questions and comments are welcome. And remember, my friends, you can never have TMI about TMJ! Thank you!