TMJ Symptoms And What You Can Do About It

TMJ symptoms are quite pronounced and noticeable to the sufferer. There is hope, though. Before we talk about the cure for TMJ or some simple and inexpensive strategies to solve your TMJ problems, let's talk about some of the specific symptoms you need to be aware of.

TMJ symptoms affect are focused everywhere the joint that connects the lower jaw. Temporomandibular joint syndrome affects people differently, TMJ symptoms like popping and clicking are not healthy jaw sounds. Other symptoms include headaches, which the sufferer usually considers non related to the TMJ problem.

Indeed, TMJ symptoms are not easy to diagnose, because they are often similar to other disorders. Headaches, for example, are "referential pain." This is called a temporal headache and is often misdiagnosed as a migraine headache.

Another symptom includes the characteristic clicking or popping sound coming from the jaw area -- this is an obvious impairment in your jaw's normal function. But there are more.

The most common TMJ symptoms are essentially the following: pain in the jaw joint, a locked jaw, ear aches, swelling in the jaw joint, ringing in the ears, pain in the neck and/or shoulders, and teeth grinding.. These TMJ symptoms vary simply a little bit depending on the person and the severity of the condition.

Don't Confuse TMJ Symptoms with Other Health Issues

Don't confuse temporary jaw clicking or jaw popping with a TMJ problem. Sometimes it's temporary. A friend of mine was hurt in an athletic game (softball) suffering an inadvertent blow to the head. This caused his jaw to have some swelling. A result was that he started experiencing a clicking in his jaw. He thought it was something more serious. It wasn't. It went away with the edema or swelling. Some TMJ-like symptoms also can be precipitated by oral habits like chewing too much gum or grinding the teeth. Some experience TMJ-like symptoms with fingernail biting.

Conditions in the body like arthritis or pinworm infestation can also emulate TMJ-like symptoms. Pinworms? Yes, it's true. One of the symptoms of TMJ is grinding of teeth at night, which is one of the reasons why a TMJ night guard is so popular. What many don't know, though, is that a pinworm infestation in the intestinal tract can cause grinding of the teeth at night. A night guard would work in such an instant to prevent the teeth grinding, but it wouldn't cure the root cause. For those who don't believe in parasite infestation, consider this: A full 80 percent of the human population has a parasite within them, according to Dr. Oz.

Getting back to our core point, don't confuse TMJ-like symptoms for having TMJ. See a dentist.

Continuing, the first step for relieving your jaw pain is to determine the root cause, and the cure lies in finding out if the TMJ symptoms stem from muscular or skeletal damage. You should see a dentist. You should also look for a dentist recommendation as to the cure. Believe it or not, modern day clinical or allopathic research has not yet completely defined all the causes of the various TMJ disorders. It should also be noted that not all TMJ symptoms are physical based. Believe it or not, depression or melancholy is also a common symptom.

Another common symptom in the panoply of specific TMJ symptoms is spasms in the jaw muscles. This can result in limited mouth opening, or deviation of the jaw to one side when it opens. These spasms can cause pain, which can be truly severe. TMJ headaches are also commonplace as well. The most common TMJ-type of headache is located on the side of the head over the area of the temple. Many confuse these type of headaches for migraines and thus their TMJ symptoms worsen without the needed help.
A few particular noticeable TMJ symptoms is a particular soreness in your facial muscles or jaws upon waking (this could be exacerbated by teeth grinding or bruxism). At times during the day, you may discover that you have a challenging and painful time opening and closing your mouth. Also, proper or normal biting may be difficult for you as well.

One very obvious symptom is when the jaw protrudes outward slightly. One good guideline is this: If you have to move your jaw back manually, while you might not be a redneck or a Star Trek alien type creature, you just may have TMJ.

Lastly, one very obvious and unfortunate sign of TMJ is when the areas around the mouth become swollen. Sometimes, due to the influx of blood, you may see much more or a ruddy look to the face in the jaw area as well.

What Can I Do? Here's The Solution
There are things you can do. First, see a TMJ dentist specialist if you legitimately suspect you have TMJ. He/she may recommend simple exercises. The doctor may also recommend a TMJ mouth guard specifically designed to relieve your TMJ issue.

Before buying a TMJ night guard, though, make sure you have a bona fide dentist recommend one to you. That's the safest bet.