Is Chewing Gum Causing Your Headache?

If you get frequent headaches, your habits may be making them worse. Biting your nails, chewing gum or nibbling on pencils or pens may be aggravating the joint in your jaw and causing many symptoms, including headaches.

The temporomandibular joint is at the corner of your jaw and it does amazing things. It moves up and down, from side to side and also rotates. This moves when you speak, yawn, chew and swallow.

Gum Chewers Beware

Certain repetitive actions like chewing gum or your nails can cause the joint to become swollen and cause pain. So if you chew gum all day it could fatigue the joint and cause pain. Be on the lookout for causes, if you see chew marks at the end of your pen or stylus this could be a hidden source of your headaches. Consult with your health practitioner.

When this joint has a problem, you may develop TMD or temporomandibular disorder. http://www.smileworkscalgary.com/other_services/bruxism/

Chill Out

Using cool packs on your jaw can help to decrease swelling and reduce pain. You can relieve some of the pain by relaxing your jaw muscles. Many people clench their teeth without realizing it. If you do notice that you’re clenching your teeth and it’s causing pain or tension you can gently stretch and move your jaw or use meditation or breathing exercises to relax tight jaw muscles. If you notice a short time later you’re clenching again, you can see your dentist for help.

Give it a rest

Sleep it is for rest and relaxation but some people grind their teeth through the night causing fatigue of their temporomandibular joint. Stress can cause you to grind and can develop into a habit while you sleep. The problem is realizing that you are grinding while you sleep.

 See Your Dentist

If you’re having frequent headaches or jaw pain book an appointment with your dentist. They can look for symptom such as worn or cracked teeth, amongst other symptoms. There are several methods to cope such as over the counter medication to a custom fitted night guard.