When an earache is not an earache...what to do?

Question

I had the symptons and pain of an ear ache. I was treated last month and I was given drops by a doctor. The drops were used twice a day but the ear ache did not go away. I went back to the dr. and he said there is no inflamation in the ear or swelling..never did swell but it sure hurtrs! He told me that Burt Reynolds had the same thing because he chewed gum so much..i don't chew gum but i do grind my teeth in my sleep as the dentist told me so. also I found myself clenching my jaw a lot..bad habit..any suggestions if you have heard of this problem..??? thanks if you can help me as the next step i guess is to go to a dentist and have something put in my mouth to avoid grinding my teeth...well thanks anyway.

Answer 1

If you grind your teeth and clench your jaw, you have already found the cause of your problem. It may be not in the ear at all, but rather the Tempromandibular Joint- aka TMJ, which is the jaw hinge that allows you to open and close your mouth. By grinding the teeth and clenching the jaw, you keep the muscles tensed too much too often. It hurts in the ear because just under it is where all the nerves from the lower and upper jaw are clustered. My husband has this problem, and had much the same complaints you have now. Go to the dentist and have yourself fitted with a mouth guard. You wear it when you go to sleep to hold the mouth slightly open and pad the teeth. It's a nice silicon piece, so it's nice and cushy- although it will take some getting used to at first. After about a week of using it, my husband had noticeable relief. Motrin will help the muscle pain, and the inflammation causing it. During the day, you will just have to stay alert to the jaw clenching tendency. Usually it's triggered by stress and irritation, so you might consider what you can do to limit or eliminate what's eating you during the day. That could well help a lot with the nighttime trouble as well. Some folks just naturally grind their teeth in their sleep, though- and it is worth it to preserve your teeth and avoid the pain to just get the guard and use it. Don't get one of the mouthguards sold at the stores, they don't fit as well no matter what you do. Go to the dentist and have one made especially for your mouth,it's worth the extra expense.