TMJ flare ups are a painful situation that is common nowadays. In this situation, your temporomandibular joint gets assembled with your skull, and as a result, you feel discomfort and irritation.
People who are suffering from TMJ flare-ups might face some problems like jaw pain, difficulty opening and closing their mouth, and hearing click or pop sounds. If it gets more serious, it also causes headaches, earaches, or facial pain.
This article is going to be very beneficial for you if you want to know about TMJ flare-ups. We tell you all the details about it and also provide you with special tips for avoiding this condition. So get ready to know it in depth.
Understanding the TMJ Joint
TMJ is a painful condition, and its full form is a temporomandibular joint. In this condition, your lower jaw gets attached to your skull, which can cause jaw pain and many difficulties while eating or talking.
The TMJ functions like a hinge, made up of two bones the temporal bone in your skull and the mandible (jawbone). A cartilage disc sits between these bones, acting as a shock absorber for smooth movement.
What is a TMJ Flare-Up?
The TMJ flare-up mostly occurs when your TMJ gets sore or swollen, and this can cause many problems for you, like pain and stiffness, and you feel discomfort in the jaw moments. Usually, the duration of TMJ flare-ups is from a few days to a few weeks.
Recognizing the Signs of a TMJ Flare-Up
A TMJ flare-up can cause several symptoms, including:
Jaw Pain and Tenderness
Anytime you feel pain and tenderness in the jaw joint, this should be big evidence that you are suffering from a TMJ flare-up. This can be more dangerous for you if you dont avoid some activities like chewing or yawning.
Difficulty Opening and Closing Your Mouth
You can also face difficulties while opening and closing your mouth during the TMJ flare-up. Through this, you can face different problems in your daily activities, such as discomfort and pain during eating and talking.
Clicking or Popping Sounds in the Jaw
Many people also report clicking or popping sounds during TMJ. Usually, these sounds occur when your joint disc slips out of place and then snaps back into position. These sounds can cause discomfort and irritation.
Earache and Headache
You might also face earaches and headaches during TMJ flare-ups because THM is near your ear and head. That is why they might also be affected. This pain may happen during jaw movement.
Facial Pain
It is also discovered that pain in the face and temples might be a symptom of TMJ flare-ups. In this condition, you can feel tenderness when touching the affected areas.
What Causes TMJ Flare-Ups?
The confirmed and accurate cause of a TMJ flare-up is not understood, but following some factors also contribute to its development:
Stress and Anxiety
Due to stress and anxiety, your muscles get tight, and this can put extra pressure on TMJ. As a result, you can face swelling, pain and discomfort.
Poor Posture
Usually, TMJ problems are also caused by bad posture. If you make a posture where your head and neck do not line up perfectly, like when you bend your body forward, this puts pressure on your jaw and causes problems.
Teeth Grinding and Clenching
One of the common dental issues that a lot of people face is teeth grinding and clenching, which is also named bruxism and can also cause TMJ. The grinding puts a lot of pressure on the jaw muscles and joints. Through this, you can feel pain and irritation.
Injury to the Jaw
This is rare, but in some situations, some injuries also cause TMJ flare-ups, such as a blow to the face or a dental procedure that might damage your TMJ.
How to Cope with TMJ Flare-Ups?
There is no specific treatment that can fix your TMJ flare-up issue, but you can make it better by following the given strategies:
Over-the-Counter Pain Relief
You can use pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen. They help a lot in reducing the pain caused by TMJ flare-ups.
Heat and Cold Therapy
Sometimes, TMJ flare-ups can cause a lot of irritation and discomfort. In this case, you can apply heat and cold therapy, where heat can help you get relief and relax your muscles, and cold can help you reduce the pain, and you can solve this problem temporarily.
Gentle Jaw Exercises
For making TMJ flare-up issues better, you can consult with your dental or physical therapist for some jaw exercises that help you relax your muscles and improve your jaw moment. After some time, these exercises can resolve the TMJ flare-up problem.
Stress Management Techniques
As you read in this article, stress can also cause TMJ flare-up problems, so you can avoid stress with the help of some special techniques like yoga, meditation, and deep breathing, which can help reduce muscle tension.
Dental Interventions
You can also use some modern dental interventions that are recommended by your dentist, like night guards. This can help you to prevent many dental issues like grinding and adjusting your bite through dental procedures.
Preventing Future Flare-Ups
In all cases, there is no possibility of permanent treatment discovered for TMJ flare-ups, but you can reduce its chances of effects by using some healthy habits. The following are some of them:
Regular Dental Check-ups
To keep yourself healthy, you should prefer regular checkups to direct ones that can help you maintain your oral health. If you have any problem, like TMJ flare-ups, your dentist can recommend the best treatment for it.
Maintaining a Balanced Diet
Diet is the most important factor for your overall health, and it keeps you healthy and safe from many diseases. Prefer eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that provide you with vitamins and keep you healthy. Some studies have also discovered that the deficiency of vitamin D causes TMJ flare-ups.
FAQs
How long does a TMJ flare-up last?
Usually, the duration of TMJ flare-ups depends on the stage of flare-ups, like it just starts or gets serious. Mostly, the TMJ flare-ups last from a few days to a few weeks.
Can TMJ flare-ups cause permanent damage?
Mostly, there is no permanent damage caused by TMJ flare-ups, but if it remains unchecked for a long time, then it can cause some serious problems, such as jaw joint damage and severe pain.
Can teeth grinding cause TMJ flare-ups?
Yes, a common dental issue, teeth grinding, which is also popular with the name bruxism, can cause TMJ flare-ups. The grinding puts a lot of pressure on the jaw muscles and joints. Through this, you can feel pain and irritation.
Can stress trigger a TMJ flare-up?
Yes, stress and anxiety are the main things that can increase the chances of TMJ flare-ups. Stress puts extra pressure on your jaw. As a result, you have to face problems like TMJ flare-ups.