My ETD story

Christmas - 2016 I had a pain in the back of my neck that radiated up the back of my head and settled in the bone behind my right ear.

New Year's Day - woke up with a clogged right ear.  The NP cleaned out the wax and gave me antibiotics and ear drops.  

My right ear was closed up tight and my left ear joined in.  Both were closed up tight for a long time.  

First ENT - said allergies go to an allergist

Second ENT - said allergies go to an allergist

Allergist - did blood testing and I only came back positive for dogs and we have a dog

Moved in with my mom (no animals) for 2 mos and no improvement

CT of sinuses were clear. 

Third ENT allergist - told me he thought I had TMD and sent me to a orofacial pain dentist

Fourth ENT allergist - said he thought I had more allergies than just dogs and did skin testing.  I came up positive for about 80% of what they tested me for.  I wanted food testing but he said he didn't do food testing. 

Orofacial dentist - 3 1/2 hours of testing and told me a split would help.  He never really explained if he thought I had TMD and I thought the splint was mainly for nighttime grinding.  

Fifth ENT allergist -  said I needed to be tested for foods.  Tested positive for eggs, wheat, baker's yeast, Candida albicans and dairy.  The candida infection was bad and the ENT thought once I beat the candida my ears would clear up.  I did get better but not fixed.  

Chiropractor - said my neck had a reverse curvature and my spine was crooked.  Said I would feel better and my sinuses would drain once I was in alignment.  He was way too aggressive and set up a reaction of horrible muscle pain and spasms.  

The pain in my muscles ranged from pain to blow torch burning.  My toes and fingers tingled like they were asleep due to the nerves being pinched by the nerves. 

Back to 5th ENT again - said since the food elimination didn't work he wants me to take allergy shots from ENT #4 since he's closer.  Have that appt 7/5. 

Physical therapist - several weeks of active release technique and dry needling and I am feeling somehwhat normal again.  I was telling her about all of my ear issues.  She said a lot of her TMD patients also have ear fullness.  She poked around on my muslces in my face and said I am super tight there too.  

My only symptoms are chronis sinusitis, ear fullness, pressure, cracking, popping.  I am either drowning in drainage or it gets a blocked feeling and it's thick like glue.  I do not have normal allergy symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, watery or itchy eyes etc..  

When my sinuses act up I can feel my ears reacting.  So I never thought TMD could possibly cause the sinus issues.  

After talking to my PT I went home and dug out that splint.  I put it in and within 10 min. my ears opened!  I took it out and within 5 min. they closed up.  Put it back in they opened and so on.  For 3 days I was doing great.  The 4th and 5th day wasn't as good but better than usual.  

I started researching TMD and I have so many symptoms!  Pain in front of my ear, ear fullness, dizziness, neck pain, shoulder pain, tight facial muscles, unexplained sinusitis.  Who knew TMD could cause sinus problems!  

I am thinking TMD is causing my ear problems and not allergies.  I am going to continue to wear the splint until I see the doctor again in July.  I also asked the doctor to fax my PT an order so she can start TMD treatment.  She did say most of the time TMD is caused by out of whack muslces and not a physical cause.  

I pray this fixes my ears!  

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