Before we talk about why our jaw hurts, it is better if we first understand what jaw pain is.
Jaw pain is pain resulting from other ailments such as toothache or as a result of symptoms of something more serious such as heart disease. The jawbone is the bone that is connected to the skull bone. Also known as the mandible, this bone is connected to the skull by a pair of joints below the ear called the temporomandibular joint or TMJs. With this joint, it is possible for humans to close and open their mouths.
The jaw also functions as a place to rest the teeth, gums and hold them and keep them hot or cold. As a bone that is very important to its existence, it can also get infected if you don’t maintain good health. Next we will look at the causes of pain in the jawbone.
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What Causes Jaw Pain?
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. This disorder is the most common cause of jaw pain sufferers. In fact, it is said that about 1 in 8 people experience jaw pain and the most common is in women.
Among the causes of disorders in the TMJ joint are:
- Injury to the jaw
- The presence of certain diseases such as arthritis
- Grind your teeth or grind
- The position of your jaw that is not parallel to the normal jaw
- There is inflammation that occurs around the jaw
- Apart from the causes above, stress can also worsen the condition of your jaw.
Some of the symptoms of disorders of the TMJ or temporomandibular joint:
- There is a clicking sound when you open your mouth
- Pain around the ears, face or jaw
- Continuous headaches
- Ringing in the ears
- Dizzy
- Vision problems
- Pain when you chew strongly
- Locking the jaw
If you feel there is a problem with your TMJ, then immediately check with the dentist or health professional concerned. Usually they will ask you about the symptoms that occur. If this is true the symptoms of a TMJ problem such as pain. Then they will give you pain medication such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, they will relieve the pain you feel.
Sometimes dentists also suggest that you train your jaw muscles to be strong. Sometimes, you also need prescription drugs or in more severe cases you may need surgery to fix the problem.
Trauma
The jawbone is like any other bone, it can also experience friction or move from its place. Can occur due to a blow, fall or other things, so that you experience:
- Bruises
- Swelling
- Pain
- or tooth loss occurs
For this, sometimes you have to take pain relievers, or are advised to eat certain foods that are soft so they don’t irritate your jaw. If you have this problem that is chronic such as not being able to open or close your mouth properly, then you should be treated.
Dental problems
Dental problems are also one of the causes of jaw pain. There are many dental problems that cause, including:
- Toothache due to cavities or abscesses
- Solid, cracked, or sensitive teeth to temperature and pressure
- Gum disease that damages the jaw
- Growth of wisdom teeth
- Misaligned tooth growth
- clenching the jaw
If you experience a problem like this, visit your doctor immediately. One way to prevent it and reduce pain you can gargle with warm water and use floss to remove food debris between the teeth.
If your type of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis, it can hit or attack the temporomandibular joints. It is an autoimmune disease, meaning your body attacks healthy tissue, causing it to swell. Another thing that may happen is to damage the cartilage, making your jaw feel stiff and sore.
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Diseases
Some vaccines eliminate the disease, but some people still experience the disease and the symptoms of the disease can be jaw pain.
For example, mumps, sometimes with vaccines can be prevented, but some still experience goiter. Goiter is a virus and it makes the glands on the side of the mouth to swell. The pain from a goiter can make moving your jaw difficult.
Another example is tetanus, this bacteria can infect through cuts or scrapes on your skin. The initial sign is that the muscles around your jaw feel heavy and tight or stiff. This seizure is called lockjaw, the result of this disease can make you treated for weeks or even die from tetanus. Read also: Cleaning business in toronto amidst covid-19
Heart attack
Heart attacks also cause jaw pain or pain. Maybe this is a little strange, but it is true. Pain that begins close to a cluster of nerves, such as near the heart, will be felt elsewhere. For some people jaw pain is the result of heart disease or a heart attack.
In addition, jaw pain can also occur as a result of referral pain from problems that have occurred in your joints such as the shoulders and lower back.
Sinus problems
Sinusitis can also be a cause of pain in the maxilla. When your sinuses swell even up to 3 months, then you may be suffering from chronic sinusitis. If this happens you will have difficulty breathing and the area around your eyes will feel soft and you will feel pain in your upper jaw.
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Trigeminal neuralgia
Trigeminal neuralgia is very severe pain that occurs when blood vessels press on the trigeminal nerve or occurs as a result of multiple sclerosis. This disease usually affects one of your cheeks and you can feel very painful pain like a stab or electric shock. It’s so bad that you can’t even eat and drink.
Cluster headaches
Cluster headaches are headaches that occur in a specific pattern and last for a short period of time. This disease causes pain on one side of your head and often makes you wake up at night. It also affects the eyes and temples and can attack your jaw. So cluster headaches can be one of the causes of pain and tenderness in your jaw.
Osteomyelitis
Osteomyelitis is also a cause of pain in the jaw. It is an infection of the bone which can affect the mandible or mandible. It is chronic and must be treated, otherwise it can cut off the blood supply to the jaw and can destroy or completely destroy part of the jawbone.
Tumors or cysts
It turns out that cysts or tumors can also be the cause of your jaw pain. However, the cysts meant here are odontogenic cysts or tumors that occur in the jaw. Both can grow fast and break your jaw. In order to get this disease out of your jaw, the habit has to be a surgical route.
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Home Remedies for Jaw Pain
How to treat jaw pain? Actually this depends on the cause of the pain itself. If you are sick due to sinuses, of course the treatment is to treat the sinuses. However, there are at least some things you can do to relieve the aches and pains you are experiencing. Here are some things you can do to relieve jaw pain:
- Rest your jaw
- You can take over-the-counter pain relievers such as anti-inflammatory and analgesic
- Prescription medications such as anti-depressants and muscle relaxants
- Cold compress for 20 minutes each time you compress, a day you can do it 3-4 times.
- Exercise strengthens the jaw muscles slowly
- Ultrasound, these are high sound waves to treat swelling and pain.
