What to do if the jaw is narrowed: step by step instruction

Complaints about what drove the jaw, we hear is not so rare. And independently to establish the reason of the given phenomenon it is practically impossible. Most often this condition is not dangerous and passes without complications. However, sometimes there are situations when the jaw reduces due to serious health problems.

How is the disease manifested?

Painful sensations in the jaw region, as a rule, are associated with a violation of the temporomandibular joint. He, like all other joints, has a capsule, where quite complex muscular movements occur. And this is not surprising, because with her, there are many life processes, such as biting, chewing, yawning, communication, coughing, laughing, etc.

According to many scientists, this joint is also responsible for the balance in the body. So, if the jaw is in the right position, then the remaining muscles of the face and head, in general, are not subject to heavy loads and do not experience discomfort. When the joint is moved to one side, the center of gravity of the head changes, as a result of which not only the head but also the neck begins to suffer. In addition, cranial nerves may be impaired, which causes permanent spasms in a person.

Unpleasant sensations, when reduced, the jaw hurts, can be present both during the day and at night. And at night, the pain can become even stronger. Much here depends on the psychological state of a person. Any stressful situation, lack of sleep can cause increased pain.

Causes

Before starting the fight with the disease, the doctor must find out its cause. Only this will help determine the tactics of treatment and prevent relapses in the future.

Why reduces the jaw? The main culprits are:

• constant stress, nervousness, which force to react violently to what is happening;

• bruxism (a man grinds his teeth in a dream);

• Muscle tension and spasm due to uneven load;

• Dental diseases;

• the physiological feature of yawning;

• pathological changes in the cervical vertebrae.

Why reduces the lower jaw

There are situations when it reduces only the lower jaw. The reason for this phenomenon, as a rule, is the violation of the trigeminal nerve. In this case, the main symptom manifests itself in the form of severe paroxysmal pain, which can spread both to the teeth and to the entire half of the face. Such feelings have a temporary character. Duration of pain does not exceed half an hour, after which they subsided.

The same peculiarity of pain is peculiar for oncological diseases of the head, mouth and nasopharynx. Therefore, if the jaw is closed and there is a suspicion that the cause of this is cancer, immediately go to a medical institution where CT, MRI, X-ray and biopsy will conduct a full diagnosis for the presence of a tumor.

Pain due to injury

Everyone knows that surgical interventions in the jaw area, various injuries and damage to the face and neck do not pass without a trace. As a result of a severe blow to the face, a jaw fracture may occur . In addition, the jaw joint may be damaged, because of which the jaws will be in the wrong position and lose mobility, and the attempt to close them will be accompanied by acute pain in the joint region. If the pain is associated with trauma, often in the place of damage there is swelling.

Bruxism

Such a disease, as bruxism, manifests itself by a strong contraction of the jaws in the dream and gnashing of teeth. Due to the disease, teeth become less stable, begin to loosen. Plus, the crowns are rubbed off. Often, this pathology leads to a disruption in the functioning of the maxillofacial joint.

Bruxism is characterized by spasmodic pain sensations that appear after awakening. Pain can give not only in the jaw, but also spread throughout the head. People with such a disease often complain about the fact that they have teeth and jaw, which indicates the overstrain of the joint.

Many "owners" of bruxism may not even know about the existence of ailment until someone tells them that they are grinding their teeth in a dream, or until they visit a dentist who sees the problem.

Arthritis

This disease is very common among the elderly. And it can concern not only the joints of the upper and lower extremities, but also the face, including the temporomandibular joint. Therefore, if the jaw of a person who is more than 60 years old, it can talk about arthritis of the jaw joint. In this case, the joint is deformed, so that it can not properly perform the tasks assigned to it.

Arthritis is characterized by the presence of pain after chewing or talking. At rest, the pain disappears.

Drives the jaw in a dream

Quite often physicians-therapists hear complaints about the fact that the jaw reduces during a night rest. This happens, as a rule, because of the transferred neuroses and stresses. In a dream our body relaxes, and the tension of the muscles due to the received stress can cause a change in the position of the jaw. In this situation, doctors recommend taking medications that calm the nervous system, for example, "Persen". It is also important that the medication contains antispasmodics that will help to relieve muscle spasms.

Before the beginning of treatment it does not hurt to visit a neurologist. He will analyze the situation and give advice on whether or not drugs are needed.

Spasms of the jaw when yawning

No less common are complaints about how the jaw contracted when yawning. Their frequency is related to the fact that people yawn often, and during this process the tonus of the jaw muscles is lost for a certain time. If there was residual tension before yawning, at the end of the process the muscles come into hypertonia, the jaw joint undergoes an increased load, resulting in the reduction of the jaw.

If the reduction occurs with every small yawn, especially when the process is accompanied by pain and a slight swelling, you should go to a neurologist, traumatologist or dentist. There is a possibility that the old trauma or the orthodontic defect in the oral cavity manifests itself in this way. Also, the tumor in this area can interfere with full yawning.

Anyway, if there is discomfort when yawning, it is recommended to apply a cooling compress. On this day, you should consume the grinded food, so as not to strain the jaw muscles while chewing and give the joint the opportunity to rest.

Treatment

In the event that the jaw has contracted on one side and in parallel there is a fever and swelling, the first thing to do is to consult a surgeon. It is possible that this condition arose as a result of purulent inflammation in this place. Similar symptoms may indicate the development of a parathonsillar abscess associated with angina.

When reducing the lower part of the face from one side with irradiation into the orbit, one can suspect inflammation of the facial artery. In this case, you should visit a surgeon.

Strong and boring pain, giving to the jaw, can speak of inflammation of the trigeminal nerve, and here you can not do without visiting a neuropathologist.

If the jaw reduces due to the wrong location of the dentition, you will need the help of a dentist who will install the tires and prostheses to avoid problems in the future.

Permanent pain in the jaw can signal the appearance of a tumor in the face area. As the disease progresses, the pain will become more violent and noisy. Therefore, if the reduction of the jaw and pain is observed for a long time and the pain is of a pulsating nature, it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor to start treatment in time and stop the growth of the tumor.