One of the most uncomfortable and annoying places to experience pain is in the ear. Unfortunately, there are plenty of different illnesses or circumstances that can cause pain and discomfort in the ear, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause.
What Could Be Causing My Ear Pain?
Ear pain can be tough to handle. Here are a few reasons why you might be experiencing this discomfort:
- Earwax – Your ear makes and gets rid of wax every day, and sometimes all that wax can build up, harden, and block your ear canal. This condition, impacted wax, can cause severe and sudden ear pain.
- Air pressure – The little pop you feel in your ears when you swallow is how your ears correct changes in air pressure. If the pressure difference is sudden, you might feel pain and have trouble hearing.
- Middle ear infection – Fluid build up in the ears due to allergies, a cold, or sinus infection can cause the middle ear to get painfully infected.
- Swimmer’s ear – If you feel pain when you pull on the earlobe or push the tiny flap that closes it, you probably have an outer ear infection, called swimmer’s ear. This happens when water gets trapped in the ear canal, and then germs start to breed.
- Tonsillitis or pharyngitis – If you also have a sore throat, your ear pain can be caused by another infection located in your tonsils or pharynx.
- Teeth problems – Your earache could actually be caused by problems with your teeth, such as an abscess, cavities, or impacted molars.
- TMJ – This common jaw problem can cause pain in your ears, but the pain stems from the temporomandibular joint in your jaw.
How Does TMJ Cause Ear Pain?
One of the most common symptoms of TMJ is indeed ear pain. TMJ refers to the temporomandibular joint that connects the jawbone to your skull. Those who have pain in the jaw joint or muscles around it suffer from a TMJ disorder, a type of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) that is often referred to in society as TMJ.
Though the problem is with your jaw joints, pain can first appear in the ear and be caused by joint problems nearby. The temporomandibular joint sits directly below your ears, making it seem like that is where the pain is coming from. If you grind or clench your teeth, it’s likely this is the route of your ear pain. Pay attention to other noticeable TMJ symptoms to know if this is what’s causing your severe pain and discomfort.
Don’t worry; treatment is available!
Seek Treatment from a TMJ Specialist in East Islip
Dr. Scott Simonetti, a TMJ disorder specialist, is here to help diagnose and put an end to your pain and discomfort caused by a TMJ disorder. Visit our website or give us a call at (631) 277-4848 to learn more about our POD® night guard treatment and how we can help you.