How to Tell If You Have TJM - What Are the Symptoms and Visible Signs?

TMJ is a condition that affects a large number of people each year. The condition not only affects the jaw area but also can affect the head, shoulders and neck as well as some experiencing back pain. It will generally involve pain mainly in the jaw and will continue to cause discomfort unless something is done about it. In a short, the TMJ is a condition which causes the joint to become inflamed, which then in turn causes the discomfort in other areas as well.

Some of the conditions are not noticeable while others are. Some patients who have this problem do not report even knowing that they had this problem. That does not mean that medical attention is not needed or required. The side effects of the TMJ are what you want to be cautious of.

Symptoms of TMJ

One of the most reported symptoms of TMJ is the feeling of soreness around the muscles of the jaw and face. This is especially present in the morning and after waking up. Some patients will report that they found it hard to just open and close their mouth. Some have trouble with chewing. Symptoms like this are especially active when the patient eats certain foods or participates in activities as chewing gum. Sometimes there will be trouble speaking as the jaw joint tends to not function right when there is to much tension or when the jaw locks into place.

There can be sounds that can be heard by not just you but by others as well. Such sounds include a clicking and popping noise. There may be a sensation of grinding or sound like grinding when you are trying to chew or bite. If someone tells you that you grind your teeth in your sleep, then you more than likely are experiencing TMJ disorder.

Visible Signs

When someone has TMJ, they might find that they have the feeling that they need to push the jaw back, in the direction of the ears. This is to simply be able to take a comfortable bite. This is caused from the TMJ. The natural instinct is to push your jaw back into place.

A common sign of TMJ is for the patient to notice that they are experiencing some swelling on the side of the face. The patient may not be the only one to see this but may find that a physician also notices swelling and any redness that may be present. The patient may find that there is a shift in the position of their bottom lip.

Associated Symptoms and Conditions

The problems of TMJ are not just simply restricted to the jaw area. The problems can involve various parts of the body as well. Problems that are reported with someone who has TMJ is often a mild headache, and they may also experience the ringing sound in their ears. The symptoms may make the patient become dizzy and can disturb the way that they are able to sleep.

Some more serious complications can arise such as a backache and the inability to swallow correctly. This can in turn affect someone's respitory function. Some have experienced pain in the back of the neck which is often a frequent complication.