Ear infection presenting as mandible pain?

[Matt S.]

Three days after my last dive I developed pain in the joint on the left side of my jaw. It doesn't hurt much, and only when I am either opening wide or closing my mouth. But, it's unusual enough that I am sure noticing it. (It does not feel like a tooth thing.)

Since that spot is kind of under the ear I was wondering if it might be indicative of an ear infection of some kind. I can't think of anything I would have done to make my jaw hurt.

I've got no other symptoms of any kind, though the day before I noticed the jaw pain I had one of those "man, I think I am getting sick" afternoons. I fought off the office plague that night.

Thanks in advance for any notions you might have.

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi Matt,

A few questions:

1. Is there clicking or other sound(s) when you open wide or close your mouth?
2. Does your ear feel congested? Any muffling of hearing?
3. Is there pain when you tug on the ear lobe?
4. Headache?
5. Other sign/symptoms?
6. Was it a cold water dive?
7. Could you have clamped down on your mouth piece harder or longer than is usual?

Regards,

DocVikingo

 

[Matt S.]

Hi Doc,

1. Is there clicking or other sound(s) when you open wide or close your mouth? No. (That happens once in a great while, I assume it does for everyone.)
2. Does your ear feel congested? Any muffling of hearing? No
3. Is there pain when you tug on the ear lobe? No and I can't induce pain with any other kind of poking/pressing/putting the exterior ear
4. Headache? No
5. Other sign/symptoms? No
6. Was it a cold water dive? Yes, is there any other kind?
7. Could you have clamped down on your mouth piece harder or longer than is usual? Yes, I switched to the long hose a couple weeks ago and my reg fits a little different now. I do have jaw fatigue after most dives.

I was mainly suspicious of an ear problem because this came on a few days post-dive. If it was from reg bite I thought I would have noticed the next day.

Haven't had an ear infection yet so I am unfamiliar with how it feels.

Thanks!

 

[SFLDiver3445]

Matt,

I've experiences something similar a couple of times, with the last time being about a week and a half ago, but not immediately after diving. The first time was a couple of years ago, and I had recently been diving.

Both times, after the doctors completed a thorough examination, they were unable to find anything at all that would lead them to believe that I had an ear infection. The first time, I went to see an ear, nose & throat specialist, that was also a diver - his theory was that I was grinding my teeth at night and my upper jaw was sore because of that. The second time, when I told the doctor about what the first doctor told me, he also thought that was a plausible theory.

Whether they were correct or not, the discomfort in the area of my externtel and inner ear only lasted a few days and it eventually subsided. Perhaps I do grind my teath at night; however, I've never experience any other syptoms, other than those two times, so I'm not sure there diognosis is altogether accurate.

 

[Matt S.]

I just finished lunch and I noticed that after working out the joint by chewing there is less discomfort. Hopefully it's just soreness from chomping my reg.

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi Matt,

That seems a reasonable hypothesis at present.

Ear infections get worse over time and tend to become very painful. And, the chewing movements involved in having lunch would not make the discomfort lessen.

Please keep us posted.

Regards,

DocVikingo