Jaw Locking & TMJ Pain: Expert Tips for Comfort & Care
How will I know if I have Temporomandibular Disorder?
There are various symptoms to determine whether you are experiencing TMD. They are
• Pain – dull, aching pain or discomfort. Pain is commonly felt in jaw areas, jaw muscles, neck, shoulder, or ears. It is not a continuous pain.
• Headaches
• Stiffness in jaw muscles
• Ear symptoms – fullness, pressure, or ringing in ears (tinnitus) and hearing problems.
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Clicking (painful or painless), popping, or grinding noises while opening or closing the lower jaw.
• Reduction in jaw movement or locking of the jaw in a position
• Abnormal deviation of the jaw
• Difficulty while eating due to change in jaw position.
• Pain – dull, aching pain or discomfort. Pain is commonly felt in jaw areas, jaw muscles, neck, shoulder, or ears. It is not a continuous pain.
• Headaches
• Stiffness in jaw muscles
• Ear symptoms – fullness, pressure, or ringing in ears (tinnitus) and hearing problems.
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Clicking (painful or painless), popping, or grinding noises while opening or closing the lower jaw.
• Reduction in jaw movement or locking of the jaw in a position
• Abnormal deviation of the jaw
• Difficulty while eating due to change in jaw position.
Where can I feel pain if I have TMD?
If you are suffering from TMJ disorder, you will commonly feel pain in and around the jaw areas. You can also feel pain in the throat, neck, shoulders, ears, and jaw muscles. Pain can be felt in a single area or multiple areas.
Can TMJ disorder resemble ear infection?
As TMJ and ear are located just an inch apart, 80% of TMJ disorder cases have ear symptoms. Ear symptoms can be ear pain, congestion of ears, and ringing or fluttering in the ears. If your ear symptoms do not resolve with ear treatment, then you should suspect a TMJ disorder and consult a TMJ specialist.
What kind of pain will I experience in TMD?
You will feel a dull, aching pain or discomfort in the jaw areas in TMD. This pain comes and goes and is not present continuously. The pain experienced in TMD can be acute or chronic. Acute pain is severe but temporary. Chronic pain is dull and stays for a longer duration.
Can Temporomandibular Disorder cause ear pain?
TMJ and ear are closely located, less than an inch apart. Due to the close location, when there is inflammation or infection of TMJ, it spreads to the ear quickly. This causes pain and tenderness in the ear.
