Jaw pain when eating

If you experience jaw pain while eating, this may be due to temporomandibular arthritis. Generally, there are many causes of temporomandibular arthritis. It is best to go to the hospital for a check-up first, because jaw pain may also be caused by other reasons. After the doctor's diagnosis, receive symptomatic treatment. Do not take some medicines or use some treatments indiscriminately on your own, as this may aggravate the condition.

Temporomandibular joint disorder syndrome is the most common disease in the oral and maxillofacial region, and its pathogenesis is not yet fully understood. The main clinical manifestations of this disease are pain in the joint area, joint clicking during movement, and mandibular movement disorders. Most cases are joint dysfunction with a good prognosis; but in very rare cases, organic changes may occur.

The main treatments for temporomandibular arthritis are:

1. Drug treatment:

(1) Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): NSAIDs inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX) and prevent arachidonic acid from synthesizing prostaglandins, the inflammatory and pain mediators, thereby exerting analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.

(2) Glucosamine sulfate: The purpose of drug treatment for osteoarthritis is to eliminate inflammation and relieve pain. Although there is currently no drug that can definitely inhibit or repair the degeneration of joint tissue and articular cartilage, evidence suggests that glucosamine sulfate may be a drug that can simultaneously improve osteoarthritis symptoms and joint structure.

(3) Opioid analgesics.

(4) Antidepressants.

(5) Anticonvulsant drugs.

(6)Corticosteroids.

2. Non-drug treatment

(1) First, the influence of mental factors should be eliminated. If necessary, a psychiatrist should be consulted to develop a treatment plan and conduct psychological-behavioral therapy;

(2) Correcting occlusal relationships and bad habits, such as excessive mouth opening and unilateral chewing;

(3) Other non-drug treatments, such as nerve stimulation therapy, nerve block therapy, surgical treatment, physical therapy, traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture therapy, etc.

Although there are many treatments for temporomandibular arthritis, the most appropriate treatments are different for different conditions. Especially when you are not clear about your condition, it is best not to use medication blindly for treatment. Symptomatic treatment can achieve the best results. It is recommended that patients receive treatment under the guidance of a doctor, which is more secure.

What are the symptoms of temporomandibular joint inflammation?

(1) Abnormal mandibular movement: This is the most common symptom. The patient's mouth shape will be abnormal. We know that the average natural opening width of a normal adult is about 3.7 cm, and the opening shape is not skewed. However, the patient's mouth opening will be abnormal, which may be too large or too small. The joints may be locked when opening and closing the mouth. Therefore, the patient should correct it in time.

(2) Pain: When the patient opens his mouth and chews, he will feel pain in the joint area or muscles around the joints in his mouth. When there is organic damage to the joints or muscle spasm, tenderness in the joint area and muscle tissue may occur.

(3) Joint clicking and murmur: The patient not only experiences pain, but also because the mouth is deformed, there is no obvious clicking or murmur when the mandible moves. There are "click, click" sounds and "click, click" breaking sounds during the movement, as well as continuous friction sounds like rubbing cellophane. These are relatively obvious symptoms.

(4) In addition, patients may also experience various serious complications, such as various ear diseases, various eye diseases, and even symptoms such as difficulty swallowing and speech difficulties.