Hello guys,

Thankful that I discovered this forum, as I have been dealing with this issue for a while now. I do have TMJD and neck issues. It has been confirmed that my TMJD is causing my ETD as well. In such a case, I pretty much have all the mentioned symptoms: crunch/grinding in throat when swallowing saliva trickling down most prominently on the left side, shortness of breath, and being able to offset the problem by lowering my neck to my chest. While I do believe my jaw joint misalignment is the underlying cause of the issue, there are other factors that should be considered.

From what I have gathered, I believe that this is an issue with the neck that has possibly caused thyroid cartilage issues. It is important for all of us to take into account any past history of neck trauma or complications.
In this regard, has anyone gotten a neck MRI evaluated by a specialist?

I will soon get my neck MRI image evaluated by a specialist. If no luck there, I will go see an ENT and ask about my thyroid cartilage.