Association between temporomandibular disorders, chronic diseases, and ophthalmologic and otolaryngologic disorders in Korean adults: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

IntroductionTemporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are common musculoskeletal conditions in the maxillofacial area. Although strong relationships between TMDs and other pain and diseases exist, few studies have comprehensively assessed the association between chronic diseases, ophthalmologic and otolaryngologic disorders and TMD.MethodsOf 25,534 individuals included in the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010–2012), 17,575 aged ≥20 years who completed survey items on TMD symptoms were included for cross-sectional analysis. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between chronic diseases, ophthalmologic and otolaryngologic disorders and examination findings, and TMD symptoms after adjusting for various confounding variables.ResultsOut of 17,575 participants, 2,059 (11.75%) reported experience of ≥1 TMD symptom(s). Compared to individuals without chronic disease, those with asthma (odds ratio (OR) 1.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09–1.96), migraine (1.44; 1.26–1.65), osteoarthritis (1.51; 1.20–1.89), thyroid dysfunction (1.49; 1.13–1.96), and depressive symptoms (1.51; 1.29–1.77) had higher ORs for TMD prevalence. Participants with tinnitus (1.97; 1.70–2.27), hearing difficulties (1.55; 1.29–1.87), dizziness (1.52; 1.27–1.82), rhinitis (1.46; 1.28–1.65), and xerophthalmia (1.82; 1.57–2.12) also displayed higher ORs for TMD prevalence. Patients diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis upon otolaryngologic examination exhibited an OR of 1.44 (95% CI 1.11–1.87) for TMD prevalence, while that for individuals with abnormal laryngoscopic results was 0.57 (95% CI 0.36–0.90).ConclusionsThese findings imply that TMDs, chronic diseases, and ophthalmologic and otolaryngologic disorders hold various correlations, suggesting the need for multitarget approaches to effectively address this phenomenon.

Temporomandibular Joint Disorders and Tinnitus

“…The prevalence of TMD was higher in patients with tinnitus and hearing difficulty symptoms than in patients without tinnitus or hearing difficulty, which is consistent with previous TMD studies where reports of auditory complaints are common [35]. Moreover, patients with TMDs were at a greater risk of developing tinnitus and symptoms of a greater severity than patients without TMDs [40].…”

“…TMD prevalence was found to be higher in patients with dizziness/balance disorder than in those without. Otologic complaints most frequently cited with TMDs in the study are dizziness, tinnitus, ear pain, ear fullness, and hearing loss [35]. de Moraes Marchiori et al reported that patients with TMDs are 2.38 times more likely to present with dizziness, and Chole et al conducted a case-control study to determine whether dizziness is more common in TMD patients compared to age-matched controls, finding dizziness to be significantly more prevalent in TMD group [3,45].…”

“…The diagnosis of TMD is clinical, being performed through the clinical history and complete physical examination of the joint with palpation, measurement of mouth opening movements, functional tests, and evaluation of joint noises. TMD patients were defined as those who had experience of TMJ symptoms over the previous year as indicated by the presence of one or more of the following symptoms: a. clicking sounds in the auricular area during the past year, b. pressure or pain in the auricular area during the past year, or c. discomfort opening the mouth during the past year [35].…”

“…In an audiological evaluation of aural symptoms in TMD, hearing loss was observed in up to 15-32% of TMD patients [35,43]. A previous study by Riga et al attributed the hearing difficulty in TMD cases to increase in resonant frequency in the tympanum ipsilateral to the TMD [44].…”

In response to letter to the editor regarding: Clinical implications of magnetic resonance imaging in temporomandibular disorders patients presenting ear fullness

“…Furthermore, increasing evidence on the association between migraine and TMD may hinder the previous notion that those without TMD signs could have a migraine-related etiology. 7 We emphasized that 34 ears had anatomical abnormalities based on TMJ-MRI. The 34 ears with specific TMJ pathologies showed significant improvement in nonspecific EF after individualized TMJ treatment, suggesting a causative relationship between TMJ abnormalities on TMJ-MRI and nonspecific EF.…”