We all know that snacking on something that’s chewy or crunchy can leave your jaw feeling sore and achy after some time. However, it’s not just enjoying your favorite treats that can be blamed for the issue, but many other things as well.
Below you will come across some really surprising causes of jaw pain. Just remember: none of the things found below should be mistaken for professional medical advice that can only come from the mouth of a doctor.
Stress
It’s not unlikely for your muscles to become tensed whenever you are stressed out, and they include the muscles of the jaw. That is why failure to manage your stress effectively can leave you with jaw pain from time to time.
Anxiety
Just like stress, anxiety is also something that can leave your jaw muscles tensed. Luckily, anxiety is a mental disorder that can be easily managed with the help of some home remedies, psychotherapy and even intake of certain medications.
Teeth Grinding
Various things can cause you to grind your teeth, and they can range anywhere from stress, anxiety and sleep apnea. Also sometimes referred to as bruxism, teeth grinding is not only something that can leave your jaw achy but also your pearly whites damaged.
Gum Disease
An advanced case of gum disease can wreak havoc not only on the teeth and gums themselves, but also the jaw bone. It’s for this reason why it is a good idea to see a dentist as soon as you suspect that you are suffering from gum disease.
Cavities
Everyone knows that cavities can leave the affected teeth feeling painful. Did you know that cavities can also cause neighboring areas such as the jaw to feel achy, too? It’s what people in the medical community call referred pain — pain felt in an area other than its source.
Tension Headaches
Just because a headache is called that way doesn’t mean that it’s just the head that may hurt. For instance, tension headaches, which are deemed as the most common form of headaches, can cause other parts of the face to ache as well, and that includes the jaw.
Sinusitis
Put simply, sinusitis is the inflammation of the lining of the sinuses, which are hollow cavities in the skull. There are many sinuses scattered all over the face, and that’s why a bout of sinusitis can cause facial pain that can include the jaw.
Arthritis
It’s true that some joints in the body are simply more prone to developing arthritis than the rest, and they include the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, wrist and fingers. However, it’s possible for arthritis to affect many other joints, including the jaw joint.
TMJ Disorder
Short for temporomandibular joint disorder, it’s something that affects the jaw joint as well as the muscles that move the jaw. There are many different things that can be blamed for TMJ disorders, ranging from physical injuries, teeth grinding, infections, arthritis and autoimmune diseases.
Heart Attack
Not everyone who is having a heart attack experiences jaw pain, but some do. Especially if the aching of your jaw is accompanied by unusual symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, sweating and heart palpitations, seek medical attention ASAP.
An Injury
Well, this is not really a surprising cause as it’s something to be expected. Especially if jaw pain is experienced after an accident during a game of contact sports or one that involves slipping and falling, then it’s likely that an injury that needs to be treated is the culprit.
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