Jaw Clenching Cause Tinnitus: A Simple, Hopeful Guide To What’s Going On

Your teeth clench, then the ringing grows louder; you may be thinking, can jaw clenching cause tinnitus “Could I have caused my tinnitus by clenching my jaws?” No, you aren’t crazy – nor are you alone in your thoughts.

In this easy-to-read, short guide, you’ll learn how tightening your jaw can make your tinnitus louder when you move your jaw, you’ll find out how your jaw and ear are connected, and you’ll discover ways you can gently take small steps to begin to manage your tinnitus from the comfort of your own home.

The purpose of this guide is to help you relax, gain a better understanding of your body, and perhaps regain a bit of control over the ringing in your head.

You won’t solve all of these problems instantly – but, you’ll begin to understand your body better than you do now, and that, itself, could give you some peace.

Can Jaw Clenching Cause Tinnitus Or Make It Louder?

Are you wondering if jaw clenching cause tinnitus, or simply alter the sounds of tinnitus for a short time? Jaw clenching could either be responsible for starting new tinnitus or worsening existing tinnitus in some individuals, whereas, in other individuals, it would simply create a temporary variation in an ongoing tinnitus condition.

When you have a sensitive hearing mechanism and begin to clench your jaws; you may experience an increase in the perceived loudness of ringing, buzzing, hissing or whooshing that may be present as tinnitus. Some individuals report a change in the pitch of their tinnitus (a jump), while others describe how tinnitus has changed ears or seems to move within the head. Finally, some individuals may only observe a slight variation in tinnitus that can come and go.

Both constant and pulsatile tinnitus can occur during jaw clenching. When experiencing constant tinnitus, clenching down on your teeth will make your tinnitus appear louder and/or harsher. When experiencing pulsatile tinnitus (that has a rhythmic sensation related to your heart beat), the tightening of the muscles surrounding your jaw and neck can create a variety of sensations. The majority of individuals report an acute increase in tinnitus for a brief period of time (usually less than 10 seconds) followed by a decrease in tinnitus.

You’re not imagining things. Your body is sending you a signal.

Why Your Tinnitus Changes When Clenching Jaw

When your tinnitus goes off in response to clenching your jaw, you may feel a little odd and maybe even frightened. Your jaw tightens and your tinnitus gets louder, as if someone has adjusted the volume dial on a radio inside your head. That doesn’t feel normal at all.

The simple idea is this. Your jaw is located just above your ear. The muscles that move your jaw are connected to the joint of your jaw (the temporomandibular joint), which is also connected through nerve pathways and bones to your hearing system. When you clench, the muscles compress, the joint closes, and the nerve pathways surrounding the ear receive a different signal than before.

Some people experience jaw clenching cause tinnitus sounds being turned up louder or becoming higher pitched, as if turning up the gain on an amplifier; while other people find that their tinnitus becomes softer or even fades away when they move their jaw in a specific manner. In both cases, your brain is attempting to decipher the new information coming in from the muscle, joint, and nerve pathways and occasionally misinterprets these inputs as sound.

Jaw Clenching And Pulsatile Tinnitus: What Is Different?

You may experience jaw clenching (bruxism) along with pulsatile tinnitus — the latter is typically a low-pitched whoosh, thump, or “heartbeat” in your ear rather than a constant ringing.

The primary cause of pulsatile tinnitus is usually related to blood flow in the area surrounding the ear. A variety of factors can disrupt the normal flow of blood in this area including tight muscle mass around the jaw; a forward head posture; or prolonged periods sitting at a desk using a cell phone causing strain on the neck, skull, and jaw. The pressure created by the blood flow disruption creates an audible sound which is perceived differently based upon whether the jaw is clenched.

Jaw clenching can make pulsating tinnitus appear louder or more intense for a few seconds. On occasion, a particular jaw alignment can help reduce the perception of the tinnitus slightly. However, there are several potential medical reasons why you could have pulsating tinnitus, including problems with your blood vessels or internal pressure in your head that require a physician to evaluate.

As a result, if you have developed new tinnitus that is pulsatile in nature, particularly in one ear, or the tinnitus is accompanied by headaches, visual disturbances, or dizziness, you should schedule an appointment with an Ear, Nose, & Throat (ENT) specialist or physician as soon as possible. Jaw tension may be involved in the etiology of your symptoms, however, it should never be considered your sole explanation for developing tinnitus.

How Jaw Clenching Cause Tinnitus: Jaw, Muscles, And Ear Connection

In order to help you visualize why jaw clenching cause tinnitus can cause tinnitus, let’s begin by looking at a simple diagram of your head. There is a hinge, referred to as the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), that is located directly in front of your ear on both sides. This hinge is used every time you speak, eat, or swallow, as a means of opening and closing your jaw.

Next, there are large muscles running from the side of your face to the base of your jaw, and even extending into your neck and upper back. These muscles are connected to your jaw, and therefore your temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The nerves connecting the TMJ and the surrounding muscles attach to locations near the inner ear and along the pathways of hearing.

Tinnitus occurs due to jaw clenching when the common area in which all of these elements exist becomes “noisy.” Muscle tension causes movement of the hinge of your jaw, potentially causing irritation or inflammation of the joint itself. The nerves carrying signals from your jaw and facial muscles begin firing abnormally, which in turn causes abnormal activity to be perceived by your brain as a “sound”.

Additionally, your bones play a role in the occurrence of tinnitus caused by jaw clenching. The vibrations from the jaw joint can transmit through the bone surrounding your ear. Therefore, when jaw clenching causes tinnitus, those additional vibrations and nerve signals can combine with the background noise normally heard by your brain and create a louder ringing, buzzing, or humming sensation.

TMJ Problems, Jaw Clenching, And Ringing Ears

The TMJ is the small but very effective bone and joint located just below the ears on either side of the head, and directly below the skull. It is an extremely important connection between your skull and lower jaw. As such, when the TMJ functions properly, most people do not even think about it. However, if the TMJ is strained (as through grinding or clenching), a person will be acutely aware of its function, as each bite becomes uncomfortable.

Stress over a prolonged period of time, loss of one or more teeth, poor occlusion, or grinding teeth at night are some common ways for the TMJ to become strained. Once strained, the TMJ has the ability to become inflamed, which can lead to various issues including clicking or slipping of the disk within the joint. To protect the joint, muscles surrounding the TMJ become tight, however they actually worsen the issue.

For many individuals, the TMJ is the link that allows for the causation of tinnitus by clenching the jaw. Signals sent from the TMJ and nearby nerves to the brain are mixed in with those of hearing pathways. Therefore, the brain interprets these signals as a sound that is not generated from the external environment.

Individuals who experience tinnitus caused by TMJ issues typically report experiencing additional symptoms, including jaw pain; discomfort in the front of their ear; and/or cracking, grinding or popping sounds from the TMJ. Additionally, yawning and chewing hard food items may exacerbate both the TMJ and tinnitus simultaneously.

Muscle Tension, Nerves, And Tinnitus Changes When Clenching Jaw

When tinnitus varies in relation to clenching the jaw, it’s usually due to a muscular issue rather than a joint issue. These include muscles within your cheek area, temple area and your neck area that have been strained through excessive stress, bruxism (teeth grinding) or postural issues and are now hardened and inflamed.

Muscle contraction will compress or irritate nearby nerves, which could be sending abnormal firing patterns to your hearing system. It can also send continuous messages of tension to your hearing system. Your brain receives these messages in rapid succession and could interpret some of them as sound.

This type of muscle tension pattern causes your jaw clenching to produce a tinnitus response similar to a muscle spasm. Tighten up, the noise spikes; relax, the noise subsides somewhat. This can be an unsettling sensation, however, relief is present within this pattern.

If your tinnitus behavior correlates with muscle tension, treatment of the underlying tension may resolve your symptoms. Gentle stretching, improved posture, stress management techniques and/or support from a dental professional or physical therapist can assist in reducing systemic tension over time.

What You Can Do If Jaw Clenching Cause Tinnitus

It feels like a fight with your own body when jaw clenching cause tinnitus spikes for you; however, there are many ways to make this a manageable plan versus a mystery.

This portion will be broken down into three sections; first, curiosity and awareness of patterns; second, experimentation with small, safe relaxation techniques for your jaw and neck; third, using the right professionals to assist you and not go through this by yourself.

Even if you do not experience perfect results, every bit of improvement counts.

Simple Self Checks: Notice When Tinnitus Changes With Your Jaw

Take a gentle approach by first determining how your tinnitus responds to jaw movement. If you notice a change in your tinnitus during jaw clenching, this is good to know, but don’t worry; you won’t have to panic.

You can try a few basic tests while feeling calm and secure:

• Clench your jaws lightly for a couple of seconds. Then, let go.
• Slowly move your jaw from side to side (left to right).
• Open your mouth wide, then slowly shut it.
• Gently apply pressure to the sore areas in your cheek or the side of your neck.

Write down what you observed about Jaw clenching cause tinnitus to increase or decrease, or changing its pitch, in terms of which jaw move caused the change, in which ear, and how strong the change was.

These are just some clues that there is a connection between your jaw, muscles, and ears. These observations can be helpful when discussing this with a dentist, TMJ specialist, or an ENT.

Home Tips To Relax Your Jaw And Calm Your Tinnitus

If you determine that jaw clenching causes tinnitus spikes, you will want to take measures to alleviate strain on your jaw and neck. Think of this as giving your entire face a chance to exhale.

Some gentle strategies to help you achieve a relaxed jaw position:

• Practice a relaxed jaw position with your lips together, your teeth apart, and your tongue resting against the roof of your mouth.

• Place a warm pack along the side of your jaw for 10-15 minutes.

• Do a few simple, slow jaw stretches, such as opening and closing within a comfortable range of motion.

• Avoid gum, chewy candies, and very hard or crunchy food items for a little while.

• Position your computer screens at eye level to avoid straining your neck.

• Before bed, practice a few deep belly breathing and a body scan to release tension.

The quality of your sleep also plays a role in reducing overall stress, which may assist in reducing jaw tension and tinnitus over time.

You may experience minimal improvement each day, but your nervous system may need time and consistent kindness to begin noticing improvements.

When To See A Dentist, TMJ Specialist, Or ENT For Jaw Related Tinnitus

At some point, self-care will no longer be enough, and that is perfectly fine. You deserve real support, especially if jaw clenching cause tinnitus that frightens or overwhelms you.

You should seek professional assistance if you notice any of the following:

• Severe jaw pain or aching directly in front of your ears.

• Difficulty opening your mouth wide, or your jaw locks.

• An abrupt change in how your tinnitus sounds or feels.

• New pulsatile tinnitus, especially if it is occurring in one ear.

• Any signs of hearing loss, dizziness, or ear fullness.

A dentist or TMJ specialist can assess your bite, evaluate your teeth grinding, and assess your jaw joints. The dentist or TMJ specialist may recommend a night guard, bite modifications, jaw exercises, or other treatment options to help alleviate the tension around your ears.

ENT doctors can perform a hearing evaluation, visually inspect your ear structures, and rule out other potential causes of your tinnitus, such as blood vessel problems for pulsatile tinnitus. When dentistry and ear care collaborate, you typically develop a clearer understanding and better course of action.

Although tinnitus may continue to exist after receiving treatment for your jaw and muscle-related issues, alleviating the spikes, pain, and fear associated with your tinnitus may occur, and many individuals report that once they feel confident that their jaw is safer, they are able to cope with the sound more effectively.

Key Takeaways

* The tension of Jaw clenching cause tinnitus can put pressure on the surrounding ear area, which is a possible cause for tinnitus.

* For many people, Jaw Clenching Cause Tinnitus shows up during stress, sleep, or intense focus without them noticing.

* Most people find that simply releasing tension in their jaws and necks will help reduce or eliminate tinnitus caused by jaw clenching.

* Some dentists also report that they have patients who develop tinnitus as a result of bruxism (grinding), TMJ disorders and malocclusion (bad bite).

* Many people find that being able to identify what causes their Jaw clenching cause tinnitus clenching helps them better manage their symptoms; i.e., caffeine consumption, excessive screen time, high levels of anxiety etc.

* In addition, for most people, a few simple methods to release tension in the jaw, such as stretches, applying heat and gentle massage will help alleviate Jaw clenching cause tinnitus.

* However, if the tinnitus continues to be persistent or worsen, consulting with both a medical professional and a dentist will provide a complete assessment.

Conclusion

The question of whether jaw clenching causes tinnitus is often an inquiry into the reality of your experience. Jaw clenching does indeed alter your tinnitus for many individuals, as the jaw, surrounding muscles, and ears reside closely together, sharing nerve bundles and bony structures that facilitate communication between them.

You don’t have to live with this as a silent burden. There are ways you can track your experiences, attempt gentle care of your jaw and neck, seek the expertise of a general dentist, TMJ specialist, or ENT professional who recognizes and understands the interrelationship between these areas and tinnitus.

First and foremost, you are not weak for requiring assistance and you are not being overly reactive. Most importantly, you are not powerless. Even small efforts to reduce your overall muscle tension and increase the level of support available to you will likely influence the manner in which you perceive the tinnitus. From fear to awareness to the quiet steady choices that lead to greater comfort.