If you have temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, you may notice that TMJ disorder doesn’t always affect just your temporomandibular joints - it can reverberate and cause problems throughout the upper body. One such problem is a condition called tinnitus, which is defined as a ringing or buzzing sound in the ears.

Do you suffer from unexplained headaches, back aches or neck pain? Do you grind your teeth, or hear a clicking or popping sound when you speak, chew or open and close your mouth? Believe it or not, these are all signs of a condition called temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ disorder, and even if your joint itself doesn’t hurt, you could still be affected.

 According to a 2015 study in the journal American Family Physician, an estimated 15 to 20 percent of Americans suffer from the condition known as temporomandibular joint disorder, also known as TMJ disorder, or simply TMJD. But while so many people suffer from the often-debilitating symptoms of this joint disorder, the study found that only about 5 percent of sufferers seek help for the condition.

According to the American Tinnitus Association, a staggering fifty million Americans experience the constant, noticeable, ringing or buzzing in their ears known as tinnitus. Tinnitus can range in severity from slightly annoying to bothersome, and for a small portion of the population, it can be unbearable. But while there are many potential causes for tinnitus, one such cause may surprise you: temporomandibular joint disorder or TMD. We spoke to Dr. Alexandra George of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania about why TMD and tinnitus often go hand-in-hand and what you can do about it.TMD is a condition of the temporomandibular joint muscles of the jaw. It is estimated that this puzzling condition affects approximately 10 million people a year in America. There is no one cause for TMD nor is there one tried and true treatment. TMD can be caused by any number of things, such as genetics, accidental injury or improper bite. TMD can also cause a wide variety of symptoms, from jaw soreness and tightness to headaches, neck, sinus, and eye pain- and even tinnitus-based hearing loss, which scientists believe could be caused by the TMJ muscles throwing the nerves in the ears out of balance.