Contents:
- Medical Video: Pain in the Jaw: Symptoms & Treatment
- The most common cause of jaw pain
- Other causes of jaw pain
- Dental problems
- Cluster headaches
- Sinusitis
- Heart attack
- Osteomyelitis
- Trigeminal neuralgia
Medical Video: Pain in the Jaw: Symptoms & Treatment
Jaw pain can affect your ability to eat and talk, even to laugh. Therefore, it is important to know what your jaw pain means to find a way to overcome it.
The most common cause of jaw pain
Most jaw pain is caused by an abnormality or injury to your jaw joint, especially in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) TMJ is a set of joints and jaw muscles that work to open and close your mouth when you chew, talk or swallow. This joint also controls the lower jaw when moving forward, backward, and sideways.
Pain caused by interference with the TMJ joints is usually triggered by habits crack teeth during sleep or stress, arthritis, to trauma to the jaw, head, or neck. Pain can also be caused by a wound in the jaw joint and repeated use. Signs and symptoms of TMJ disorders can include:
- Pain in the jaw
- Pain in the inside and around the ear
- Difficulty or discomfort when chewing
- Facial pain
- The locking of the joint causes the mouth to open and close
Other causes of jaw pain
If the TMJ disorder is not the cause of your pain, some of the conditions below can also cause pain in the jaw and surrounding area.
Dental problems
Disorders of dental health in the form of gum disease, cavity, tooth decay, broken teeth, tooth distortion, and uneven teeth can also cause jaw pain.
Cluster headaches
Cluster headaches is one of the most painful types of headaches. The pain caused by cluster headaches is usually fixed, strong, and not pulsing which feels deep inside the head or around the eyes on one side of the head. Pain often moves to the forehead, temples and cheeks and spreads to the jaw.
Sinusitis
Sinusitis is inflammation or swelling of the sinus tissue near the jaw joint. Normal sinuses are coated with a thin layer of mucus that can catch dust, germs, or other particles from the air. When the sinuses are blocked, germs can grow and cause infection. Inflammation of the sinuses can be caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi. Infected sinuses cause pressure on the jaw joint and cause pain in the area.
Heart attack
Heart attacks can cause pain, which is usually accompanied by pain in the upper body area such as the chest, arms, back, and neck. Especially in women, jaw pain a sign of a heart attack may appear on the left side of the face when a heart attack occurs. Immediately call emergency number 118 to get medical help as soon as you experience symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, and feeling about to fainted.
Osteomyelitis
Osteomyelitis is a bacterial infection of the bone, bone marrow, and soft tissue around the bone. Bacteria enter the bone through the bloodstream after fractures, boils, or skin damage, middle ear infections, pneumoniaor other infections. Osteomyelitis occurs quickly and is very painful, or can occur slowly and cause little pain.
Trigeminal neuralgia
Trigeminal neuralgia or facial pain is a condition of abnormalities in the trigeminal nerve near the temples that can cause pain in the jaw. However, this condition is rare.
