TMJ Pain – What Are The Symptoms?
TMJ is short for temporomandibular joint. The joint connects the lower and upper jaws. Put simply, it connects the jaw to the skull. This TMJ jaw joint can often have issues related to it known as temporomandibular joint syndrome. Just like the other joints of the body, the TMJ will undergo wear and tear due to regular chewing and talking. Often if the jaw suffers a hard blow, TMJ pain can ensue.
TMJ pain symptoms are either indirect or direct. The most common and early sign of TMJ is a clicking noise when the jaw is closed and opened. The clicking sound may be a popping or a snapping that could be loud enough; it can be heard by other people around. There may be pain that accompanies this clicking but with or without the pain, it signals that the TMJ has a displaced disc or that it is irritated or inflamed. The next symptom is locking of the jaw, meaning that the jaw gets stuck when it is opened or closed. A change in the bite of a person is another direct symptom for TMJ. Once again, as the TMJ becomes displaced, the teeth do not line up properly and the bite or the dental occlusion is not aligned.
Fixing the symptoms however is not usually the best bet and natural remedies such as TMJ No More attack the causes of the pain
TMJ symptoms which are considered inderstc include lack of sleep, sore facial muscles in the morning, neck and shoulder pain, sore teeth, hearing issues, dizziness, headaches, and sinus problems. In order to differentiate a TMJ headache from any other headache, these kinds of headaches are usually located in the temples, back of the head and shoulders. The displaced disc in the TMJ causes pain that usually centralizes itself in these areas. Dizziness is a symptom of TMJ because if the TMJ is inflamed it affects the inner ear which is the area that gives people a sense of balance. TMJ can also cause light sensitivity because it produces pain behind the eye. In addition, blurred vision or a twitchy eye are also known as signs of TMJ problems.
Since the TMJ is adjacent to your ears, TMJ problems usually effect the ears and hearing. An extreme case can sometimes result in loss of hearing but more commonly it will be ringing in the ears. If there is no congestion in the nose but stuffiness is felt, it can also be a symptom of TMJ. Additionally, if a person clenches his teeth during sleep, the facial muscles may feel tender upon awakening, there is pain in the neck and teeth can also become sensitive. All are a result of teeth grinding and clenching during the night. The person experiencing TMJ may be depressed because of sleep deprivation and continual pain.
Natural remedies are available for TMJ problems and books such as TMJ No More are said to help a lot of sufferers.
