Tag: Ear Pain

Why Wearing A Mask Can Cause TMJ Symptoms

Wearing a mask all day is routine for some people, including dentists and surgeons. It’s just part of their jobs and they’re used to it. For everyone else wearing a mask for all (or most) of the day is completely unnatural. And, what’s going on under our masks can cause many problems – because wearing a mask can cause TMJ symptoms to emerge.

Without even realizing it, you may be pressing your lips together in a pursed position or clenching your teeth under your mask. These are normal human reactions to fear, anxiety, and worry. But, when the jaw and facial muscles in this contracted position for an extended length of time, they become overworked. And, like any other muscle in your body, when jaw and facial muscles become overworked, lactic acid accumulates. That irritates the nerve fibers running through the overworked muscles. The result is pain. Sometimes, “really bad pain.”

4 Ways to Reduce (or Avoid) TMJ Symptoms While Wearing a Mask

Most of us are required to wear a mask in public these days. As a board-certified orofacial pain specialist, I’m have been seeing patients whose previous symptoms are getting worse, people whose previously-resolved symptoms have returned, and many people who never had TMJ problems in their lives. Here a few of the tips I give them to help reduce their TMJ pain and/or minimize the potential for pain to emerge:

Avoid Chin-Pull
Most masks extend under the chin, and that’s a good thing. If you wear a homemade or surgical mask you’re probably pretty comfortable because it fits loosely. But, if you wear an N95 or KN95 mask, it fits tighter and applies tension to your chin that pulls your jaw upwards. Many of us are unconsciously and repeatedly pushing down on our chin attempting to move the mask away and release the tension. As a consequence, we experience fatigued and sore muscles. I recommend only wearing tight N95 or KN 95 masks if you’re out shopping, plan to be in a crowded area with poor ventilation, are using public transportation, or will be in a public space with other people for a sustained period of time. Because wearing a mask can cause TMJ symptoms, I recommend your use a less-restricting mask when you’re not in a risky environment.
Stop Using Ear Loops
Earloops that pull and tug on your ears are another reason why wearing a mask can cause TMJ symptoms. They can cause pain that can be felt from your ears, across your jaw joints, and into your face – all within a short period of time. Some people even get headaches that extend from their ears into their temples. The culprit is the trigeminal nerve. The trigeminal nerve (visible in the diagram above) is responsible for face and jaw sensations and influences the muscles that allow you to move your jaw. When your mask’s ear loops are constantly tugging, the trigeminal nerve can become excessively excited, resulting in pain and tension in your jaw muscles. A great solution to this problem is ear savers. Ear savers allow you to ditch earloops and eliminate the maddening pulling they can cause. If you’re crafty, you can make them yourself – there are lots of instructional videos on YouTube). For the rest of us, it’s easy to find them online. In fact, Etsy has a huge selection of ear savers and they are very affordable.
Keep Your Neck Muscles Loose
Another reason that wearing a mask can cause TMJ symptoms involves your neck. Your mask can cause you to change your normal head position. That can have a negative impact on your neck muscles. Several of my patients, after sometimes just a few hours of mask-wearing, experience stiff and aching neck muscles. Their tense neck muscles ultimately lead to jaw pain and sometimes limited jaw motion – typical symptoms of TMJ. If your neck is stiff and sore, check out Bob and Brad’s neck exercises on YouTube. Bob Schrupp and Brad Heineck are physical therapists. They offer advice, tips, and information on how to stay healthy, fit, and pain-free. (They’re very entertaining, too).
Smile! There’s a pretty good chance that while your face is covered by a mask, you don’t smile very much. Plus, if you have your lips pursed and your teeth clenched under your mask, there’s a good possibility that you’re holding your breath, too.

Try to keep a smile on your face when your mask is on. This may seem ridiculous because no one can see your mouth, but try to keep your lips loose and your teeth apart as much as possible. Concentrate on your breath now and then, which also helps your jaw to relax.

It’s True: Wearing A Mask Can Cause TMJ Symptoms

There’s no question we live in very stressful times and, for most people, wearing a mask feels unnatural. If you already have TMJ symptoms or want to avoid them, please try some of the tips in this post. You can be safe and comfortable at the same time.

Live or work in New York City or on Long Island? You can schedule a consultation with me here or call 212-265-0110

Tags Bruxism, Ear Pain, Jaw Problems, Orofacial Pain, TMJ

Ear Pain TMJ

Causes of Ear Pain

Post author By Donald Tanenbaum DDS MPH - Board-Certified Orofacial Pain Specialist at New York TMJ & Orofacial Pain
Post date December 27, 2011
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Many patients come into my practice complaining of ear pain, when other physicians have found nothing wrong with their ears. The ear pain complaints heard most often are these:

• My ear feels full

• My ear feels stuffy

• I feel like something is dripping in my ear

• I feel pressure in my ear

• There is ringing in my ears

• I hear a hissing sound

• I hear a buzzing sound

More often than not, patients complaining of ear pain will see their general practitioner, internist, or an ENT (ear, nose, and throat) doctor. But if there is no evidence of an infection, and there is no fluid or inflammation in the ear (or other problems with ear function) the ear pain could be happening because of a malfunction in the muscles of the face, jaw, or TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint).

Because of the way our ears, face, and jaw develop inside the womb, the malfunction of one area can cause pain in the other. To figure out if your persistent ear pain is related to a muscular issue, pay close attention if the ear pain you’re experiencing:

• Increases when you eat

• Increases when you talk

• Increases when you open or close your mouth

• Is constant and intense

If these are the dominating symptoms, chances are the ear pain will not go away unless doctors can address the muscle and joints in the face that are causing it to begin with. Treatment that focuses specifically on the ear will not work if the ear pain is just a symptom of a different problem.

Dr. Donald Tanenbaum has been practicing in New York City and Long Island for over 20 years. He is uniquely qualified to diagnose and treat bruxism, TMJ and TMD problems, Sleep Apnea, facial pain, muscle pain disorders, nerve pain disorders, tension headaches, and snoring. Learn more about Dr. Tanenbaum here.

Tags Donald Tanenbaum, Dr. Tanenbaum, Ear Pain, Inner ear, TMJ

TMJ

TMJ and Computer Use

Post author By Donald Tanenbaum DDS MPH - Board-Certified Orofacial Pain Specialist at New York TMJ & Orofacial Pain
Post date October 18, 2011
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Can Extended Computer Use be a Cause of TMJ?

Researchers are now finding a link between TMJ and computer use. The link is most closely associated with the way we posture our bodies while sitting at the computer. Most often we have a tendency to sit slouched forward, collapsed within ourselves, or in an unbalanced position for extended periods of time: all contributing factors to the connection between TMJ and computer use.

The TM joints are located on each side of a person’s lower jaw, a complex of tendons and muscles that allow us to open and close our mouths. When one or both of those joints sustain injury, or are compromised in any way, the result is TMJ.

Can TMJ Be Prevented if You Work at a Computer All Day?

Since many of us work at a computer for more than 40 hours per week, there are some things we can do to prevent TMJ caused or exacerbated by computer use:

▪ Be aware of how you are sitting at the computer. If you’re slouched, tilted, or off-balance, reposition yourself, or take a short break from the computer to realign your body.

▪ Avoid a leaning head posture whereby your ears are past your shoulders. This posture puts undue strain on the neck, jaw, and facial muscles. Be sure to position your ears above your shoulders when sitting at the computer.

▪ Adjust your work station to suit your body’s needs. This includes your chair height, lumbar position, and the angle of your computer monitor.

The link between TMJ and computer use can be remedied by following these and other posture guidelines to keep your body aligned and your weight evenly distributed through your spine.

Not sure if you have TMJ? Most common TMJ symptoms can include:

▪ Pain, usually associated with chewing and jaw movement

▪ Headaches

▪ Sore jaw muscles

▪ Neck tension

▪ Incidents of suddenly limited jaw opening and locking

▪ Ear symptoms, such as ringing, humming, or buzzing

Of course, there are other contributing factors to what causes TMJ, including trauma to the area in a collision, stress, or a number of other psychological factors. But the importance of posture awareness can aid in reducing the discomfort of TMJ caused by computer use.

Live or work in New York City or on Long Island? You can schedule a consultation with me here or call 212-265-0110

Note: Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is often erroneously interchanged with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) a condition which leads to pain and, in some cases, limited jaw function. In this article, we’ll refer to TMD as TMJ, which is the term that most people associate with this condition.

Tags Ear Pain, TMJ, TMJ and Computer Use, TMJ Causes, TMJ Symptoms

Ear Pain Tinnitus

What Causes Ringing in the Ears?

Post author By Donald Tanenbaum DDS MPH - Board-Certified Orofacial Pain Specialist at New York TMJ & Orofacial Pain
Post date August 29, 2011
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Ringing in the ears, or tinnitus,is a symptom often described as a ringing noise heard in one or both ears, that can be present continually at the same level or vary in intensity. The presence of ringing in the ears during the course of a day is based on jaw movements, head positions and tongue activity. In addition to ringing, some people describe sounds such as hissing, buzzing, humming, clicking, whistling or roaring. Along with these perceived sounds individuals often report hearing loss.

Tinnitus can have its origin from a wide number of possible causes. For some tinnitus is short-lived while for others it is ongoing and disruptive to everyday life.

Subjective tinnitus, that which is described by a patient but not heard or detected by an examining physician, is often prompted by factors like exposure to abnormally loud sounds (one bad exposure or of long duration), chronic ear infections, ear pain, trauma to the inner ear, hearing loss, Menieire’s disease, Acoustic neuromas, chronic use of medications like aspirin, antibiotics or antiviral drugs, and neurologic diseases amongst others.

At times it has been suggested that temporomandibular disorders can be responsible for the onset of tinnitus. Though symptoms such as ear pain are commonly associated with TMJ disorders it is my opinion that no greater than 10-15% of all those patients that we see with TMJ problems report the symptom of tinnitus.

Since the histories and examinations of these patients are no different than those without tinnitus, the reason why they are suffering with ringing in the ears remains unclear. It has been proposed that overuse of the TM joints during gum chewing, tooth grinding, or nail biting for instance can sometimes cause tinnitus but this remains more opinion than fact. If, however, the ringing in your ears increases or changes with opening or closing of your mouth, or forward and side-to-side shifts of your jaw, there is a chance that a relationship exists between the tinnitus and your jaw. In addition, if you are a heavy nighttime tooth grinder or clencher and wake up with tinnitus it would be wise to investigate whether there are treatment options available to address this distressing and often disabling symptom.

The final word is that the symptom of tinnitus often cannot be attributed to any one or specific medical disorder or physical cause. As a result patients are often left to wonder whether relief will ever be found! If your tinnitus symptoms seemingly have any relationship to jaw function an investigation with a properly trained dentist would certainly be advised.

Tags Ear Pain, Inner ear, Ringing in the Ears, Tinnitus, TMJ