A Clicking Jaw is a Sign of Stress

It is often heard and seen that the levels of stress experienced by Generation X and Y is considerably higher than that of previous generations. The cause of this growing stress has been attributed to a number of factors stemming from professional and personal lives. In recent times however, the global financial crisis has been the major cause for stress and various aspects of people's lives have been affected due to this crisis.

During this period of recession, many thousands have lost their jobs, which has significantly increased the amount of stress affecting ordinary people. In addition, rising debt and lack of finance options has also resulted in more furrowing of the brows.

Stress is not good for health - physical and mental health and while this has often been said and several stress-related afflictions are commonly known, there are some stress-related problems that may not be as well known. Clicking Jaw or Popping Jaw is one such affliction and it is usually a direct result of too much stress.

In extremely worrying times, it is a common physiological reaction to clench our jaws. Frustration, anger, depression, tension and too much of stress are all common reasons why we clench our teeth and therefore create stress on the jaw joint or what is known as TMJ (temporomandibular) inflammation in medical terms.

When the TMJ is affected, one usually experiences pain at the back of the jaw, usually around the ear or near the wisdom teeth. While there may be other causes of the pain, jaw pain or TMJ dysfunction as it also known, should not be ignored as this pain can also be an indication of angina or even a heart attack.

There are various symptoms of clicking jaw and these include the obvious "clicking" sound when opening or closing the mouth, aching around the ear, pain in the jaw as well as several other tell-tale symptoms.

While many of us may be subconsciously clenching our teeth in frustration during these tough times, it might lead to a more serious affliction. Momentary jaw pain can be ignored but popping jaw or clicking jaw will usually be persistent and if this is the case, it is wise to consult a physician.

For more information on clicking jaw or TMJ pain as well as suggestions for treatment, please refer to Clicking Jaw & TMJ inflammation.