What does this mean?
Ringing means hearing a sound although there is no source for it outside you. That sound can arise at any point along the hearing pathway, not only inside the ear. So ringing is not an illness in itself; it is a finding. The first step in the assessment is a hearing test, because a good share of ringing goes along with a hearing loss the person has not noticed.
The detail that sets this symptom apart is what changes the sound. If the loudness or the pitch of the ringing changes when you clench your teeth, open your mouth as wide as it will go or turn your head, the connection between the jaw and neck muscles and the hearing pathway comes onto the agenda. A sound that comes and goes in time with your heartbeat is a separate picture and calls for causes in the blood vessels to be looked into.
The link between the jaw joint and ringing is well known, but it is easily overstated. It cannot be said that jaw treatment will make the ringing go. In some people the sound becomes less troublesome as the joint and muscle symptoms settle; in others the sound stays the same. That is why the order runs like this: an ENT assessment and a hearing test first, then looking into the part played by the jaw.
With ringing it is the hearing test that sets the order; among what is left after the test there are also causes coming from the back of the nose and from the jaw joint. The headings below look at that second group.
Likely causes
What helps at home?
- Wear ear protection in loud places; exposure to noise can both bring ringing on and make it worse.
- In a completely silent room the sound is heard more strongly; a low background sound can make it easier to get to sleep.
- Bring a list of the medicines you take to the examination; some medicines can make ringing worse, but do not stop any of them on your own decision.
- Do not use drops and supplements recommended on the internet on your own decision; there is no home treatment that has been clearly shown to help with ringing.
- If the ringing is in one ear and came on suddenly, especially if your hearing has dropped as well
- If the sound throbs in time with your heartbeat
- If dizziness, loss of balance or numbness in your face goes with it
- If it started after a blow to the head or a loud blast
- If there is discharge from the ear, severe earache or a fever
Frequently asked questions
- Will treating my jaw joint make the ringing go?
- No such promise can be made. The link between the jaw joint and ringing is well known, but treatment has not been shown to take the sound away. In some people the sound becomes less troublesome as the joint and muscle symptoms settle; in others nothing changes at all. That is why jaw treatment is not planned on the promise of clearing the ringing.
- Who should I see first?
- The first step with ringing is an ENT assessment and a hearing test, because ringing frequently goes along with a hearing loss that has not been noticed. Talking about the part played by the jaw before that assessment is done is premature. If nothing on the ear side explains it and the sound changes with jaw movement, it is then the turn of an examination of the jaw joint and the chewing muscles.
- I hear it more at night; is my condition getting worse?
- Most of the time this does not mean it is getting worse. As the surroundings go quiet, a sound arising inside is heard more clearly, and in bed there is nothing left to take your attention. A sound that keeps getting louder through the day as well, that gathers in one ear, or a drop in your hearing does carry a different meaning and needs assessment.
This content is for general information and does not replace an in-person examination. Symptoms overlap between conditions, and a diagnosis can only be made clinically.