Patients who experience TMJ disorder or sinus issues can share a lot of the same symptoms and it can often be thought that one is the result of the other. This isn’t often the case though. The two conditions share symptoms but TMJ typically does not cause issues in the sinuses. However, TMJ can potentially be the culprit in cases of chronic sinusitis that doesn’t appear to respond to treatment. In both conditions, patients can experience symptoms that include stuffiness and sinus pressure, however, TMJ disorders will include at least one other symptom that isn’t tied to sinusitis such as pain or tenderness in the jaw, pain or difficulty when chewing, the jaw making clicking, grating or popping sounds, locking of the jaw or spasms experienced in the facial muscles, and commonly the jaw muscles. Patients experiencing symptoms related to either TMJ or sinusitis should seek care from a medical professional to get the proper diagnosis and the appropriate treatment. Particularly in patients with chronic sinus infections, a thorough exam, including imaging tests, can determine if the symptoms are TMJ or if a more aggressive treatment needs to be tried.