10 Symptoms And Side Effects For Disorder Of TMJ (Headaches, Etc.)

How awful is it to experience a jaw clenching pain after waking up? Many people may feel that their pain is constant. Mainly, people with severe toothaches may have to go to an emergency dentist for pain relief. But, an adverse dental disease such as TMJ disorder can cause several symptoms. Apart from TMJ headaches, patients with a temporomandibular joint disorder can have further complications. Jaw spasms may also increase tension in the gums and can spread pain to the ears and throat. For immediate pain relief, facial reflexology may be one of the best solutions. You can also visit No Gaps Dental’s clinic in Chatswood today for further consultation on symptoms of TMJ headaches or jawbone pain. 

What Causes TMJ Disorders?

A massive physical impact is a common cause of acquiring temporomandibular joint disorder or TMJD. A person with TMJ disorders can also experience it from dental diseases like teeth grinding (bruxism), misalignment of teeth, and orthodontic braces. Medical reasons may also increase the chance of getting this mandibular problem. People with musculoskeletal inflammation, stress and anxiety, or connective tissue diseases can lead to TMJ headaches. Reflexology experts also encourage their patients to visit an oral and maxillofacial surgeon or an orthopedic doctor to take a diagnostic exam first. After knowing the X-ray results, the causes can help physical therapists to determine how to treat the pain via massage.

10 Symptoms And Side Effects Patients Should Treat

A throbbing jawbone pain can have many side effects. TMJD can make people more sensitive to light, physical movements, smell, and stress. That said, there can even be more than ten symptoms and side effects of temporomandibular joint disorders apart from headaches. If you’re looking for more details about your temporomandibular joint disorder and the causes of TMJ headaches, then it may be best to have an expert to give you initial consultation.

TMJ Headaches

Tension headaches are dangerous since headaches can become a chronic migraine. The considerable difference between headaches and migraines are how the brain chemicals change due to the severity of the head pain. Migraines make the brain have a sudden drop of serotonin levels which makes the head ache for several hours to days. It is essential to distinguish your headache from migraine, especially in sports injury or accidents. TMJ can become an underlying health problem since the first few hours can just show toothache or mild headache.

Toothache

Did you know that your severe toothache may result in headaches as well? If you already notice the frequency of having a headache while having cavities, chipped, or cracked tooth, then it is not a coincidence. A dentist may help look for treatments to resolve your oral health problem. Moreover, specialized dentists or doctors of dental medicine may require you to undergo diagnostics and examination to explain further what caused your headache. 

Difficulty Opening The Jaw

A headache can also make the jaw challenging to open. According to neuromuscular dentistry experts, the dysfunction of the jaw can be caused by damaged nerves. However, it is still debatable whether neurology doctors or oral care practitioners should do the priority for treatment. Regardless, many issues surround the difficulty of opening the jaw. Commonly, sinus-related problems like sleep or breathing disorders can come from TMD.  

Jawbone Pain When Stressed

Doctors and dentists are adamant about relieving mental health problems since tension from stress is the highest percentage people complain during temporomandibular joint disorders. The medical results of stress can cause tension in the muscle, making the airways obstructed and can result in severe headaches. Commonly, a person that experiences stress or anxiety from work or school may have more than headaches aside from acquiring it from TMJD or TMD. 

Difficulty Chewing

Since the upper and lower mandible can’t move frequently, individuals diagnosed with TMJ disorders can’t also chew properly. Necessary nutrition and diet plans can have serious issues from this jaw disease. Notably, kids with early TMJD may have malnutrition if the parent neglects or skips disease. 

Gum Swelling

Since the muscles of the jaw are experiencing severe inflammation, gums can also lead to redness and swelling. A sudden impact in the jaw can knock out teeth and may cause tooth abscess. Bacterial infection may spread from the gums or jaw. Moreover, rheumatoid arthritis coming from the joint where the TMJ disorder is can also affect the person’s gums. 

Clicking, Popping, Grinding Noise

You may also detect a symptom of TMJ disorders if you try moving your jaw in a circular motion. Once you hear or feel a clicking, popping, or grinding noise when doing this simple routine, you may already have a temporomandibular joint disorder. Eating and chewing can also cause your joint to click and pop. It may be dangerous to continue the movement of damage from TMD.

Aching Feeling In The Ears And Throat

A headache may not just feel the tension on the temple or joint in the mandible. The ears and throat may also feel the side effects of headaches caused by TMD/TMJD. The skull can also put pressure on the neck since the jaw is misaligned. Ears can also experience ringing or rhinitis if the headache continues to persist without the proper treatment. An eyes, nose, throat (ENT) doctor may give you the appropriate advice for a solution.

Dizziness

One of the other immediate results of headache is the feeling of nausea or dizziness. Being dizzy is caused by the loss of proper oxygen intake in the brain, spinal cord, and eyes which disorients these body parts. 

Lock Jaw

In essence, a person with a damaged disc or hinge in the jaw can experience it locking whenever it is moved up or down. Spasms in the jaw muscles like lockjaw or Trismus can lead to emergencies like obstruction of breathing. However, a person’s jaw may also lock due to infections from tetanus, mouth cancer, or stiff person syndrome (an autoimmune disorder).

Is There A Treatment For TMJ Headaches?

Apart from the apparent surgery procedure, people may address TMJ headaches by consulting a face reflexologist. Several doctors see that having a surgical procedure can be risky for a patient of any age. Hence, many professional therapists suggest that occlusal and physical massage can help as pain relief. Moreover, over the counter (OTC), medicines like painkillers or analgesics are high for inflammatory issues. If you are a patient that wants a non invasive treatment, you may ask for acupressure, reflexology, or chiropractic as better alternatives. However, severe blow in the face may take more than one solution. Reconstruction of the face may also require a plastic or cosmetic surgeon to also decrease recurring headaches after recovery.