Dealing with ear injuries and pain after a car accident can be very difficult. If you’re having ear problems after sustaining head trauma, you can contact one of our Eason & Tambornini head injury lawyers for a free consultation. Our lawyers regularly deal with cases involving head trauma, so we’ll be able to help you understand why you have jaw and ear pain after a car accident, how you can lose your hearing from a concussion, how a head injury can cause hearing loss, and if a car accident can cause you to go deaf. For any questions regarding head injuries sustained from trauma, including ear pain and injury, please do not hesitate to call one of our head injury lawyers. We’ll assist you throughout the legal process.
Why do I have jaw and ear pain after a car accident?
The temporomandibular joint (“TMJ”) is the joint connecting the jawbone or the mandible to the skull, and a car accident could easily injure this joint. During a whiplash injury, for example, the head and neck abruptly and forcefully extend due to the force, and the jaw could be pulled open. The neck muscles stretch, while the jaw muscles try to keep the skull in place. This action puts additional pressure on the skull’s sides that could lead to TMJ problems like painful jaw movements and derangement of the TMJ joint itself.
Ear pain after a car accident is caused by trauma to the side of the face and neck, resulting in tissue lacerations and subsequent inflammation. The trauma could also affect the inner ear structures, which would cause symptoms of vertigo, dizziness, nausea, pain, and hearing problems.
Can you lose your hearing from a concussion?
A concussion is caused by the brain’s rapid and abrupt forward and backward movement. The brain hitting the inside of the skull could damage the brain structures, including the brain’s temporal lobe. Now, this region of the brain is responsible for auditory processing. It could cause temporary or even permanent hearing loss.
A concussion can also cause brain blood vessel bleeding and hematoma formation in the temporal lobe area. If this happens, the blood clot could impinge the structures responsible for hearing and sound perception and cause hearing problems.
The hearing loss could be partial or complete, temporary, or permanent. It all depends upon the severity of the damage to the brain structures, nerves supplying the ear, and ear structures responsible for hearing.
Can head injury cause hearing loss?
There are so many ways that a head injury can cause hearing loss. Firstly, significantly, hearing loss could result from a concussion if the brain’s temporal region is affected.
Secondly, a temporal bone fracture resulting from direct trauma to the side of the skull could damage the otic capsule. The otic capsule is located in the inner ear and contains a fluid that moves in a wave-like motion in response to movement. The waves convert to nerve impulses, which the brain receives.
Thirdly, damage to the outer ear can also affect hearing. The inflammatory process will trigger tissue injury, and there will be swelling in the area. The swelling could influence the nerves that transmit sound impulses.
Fourthly, head trauma could also damage the eardrum. A ruptured eardrum can affect one’s ability to hear.
Can a car accident cause you to go deaf?
Yes, a car accident can cause you to go deaf. Head trauma could damage the ears; the concussion could affect the brain’s region responsible for hearing. A facial fracture could sever the nerves that transmit sound signals, and there could be damage to the three small bones inside the middle ear. Direct trauma could fracture the cochlea, the ear’s auditory center. All of these could result in deafness and hearing problems.
Car accidents could also cause tinnitus. Tinnitus is a persistent ringing in the ears caused by the cochlea losing its sensory hair cells.
You should immediately seek medical attention if you have ear problems after a car accident. Your doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory and pain medications to control swelling and pain. They may also recommend surgery to repair ear damage.
What can you do?
If you or your loved one suffers from ear problems resulting from the negligence of another party, know that you have the right to take legal action against them, so give us a call now to know your options. An Eason & Tambornini auto accident attorney Sacramento can answer your questions regarding jaw and ear pain following an accident and how concussion, head injuries, and car accidents can cause you to lose your hearing. You can schedule an appointment with one of our Eason & Tambornini Sacramento car accident lawyers to help you get compensation for ear damage and ear pain after a car accident.
