Headache and Migraine Month
In June, National Migraines and Headache Awareness Month shines a spotlight on a debilitating condition that affects 1 in 7 Americans.
Migraines and headaches wreak havoc on a sufferer’s daily life. While a migraine is a headache, a headache isn’t always a migraine. Headaches cause pain in the neck, sinuses, face and head. Migraines, however, cause debilitating pain, visual disturbances, or both. They can last for hours or days and are often chronic. Without relief, migraines can cause other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness and can also lead to depression.
While a migraine isn’t a specific oral disease, migraines appear to be related to tooth pain and certain conditions causing oral or facial pain.
What is a Migraine?
The Migraine Research Foundation emphasizes that a migraine is more than a powerful headache – it’s a debilitating neurological disorder. in fact, a headache is only a symptom of a migraine, which can result in acute pain throbbing on either or both sides of your head. Some people, though, don’t get a headache but only experience migraine’s other symptoms.
Chronic migraine sufferers can:
- Experience nausea, dizziness, vomiting, facial tingling or numbness, and sensitivity to light and sound during an episode – which might last for hours or days
- Have up to 15 days per month marred by a migraine
- Miss multiple days of work or school
- Increase the risk of other conditions such as depression and anxiety
Many factors can trigger a migraine, including lifestyle and environmental factors.
What’s the Migraine-Tooth Pain Connection?
Orofacial refers to your head (face, jaw, etc.), neck, and oral cavity (teeth, gums, etc.). The following orofacial conditions share certain migraine triggers, such as stress. The American Migraine Association notes that certain orofacial conditions can intensify migraines, and you might mistake migraine pain for dental pain.
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ)
TMJ, results when the modified ball and socket joint connecting your upper and lower jaw doesn’t function correctly. The joint’s main purpose is to move the lower jaw in three directions: forward, backward and side-to-side. TMJ can feel as though your jaw clicks and pops or as it becomes momentarily stuck.
TMJ symptoms include:
- Severe headaches or migraines
- Clicking or popping sounds
- Tender jaw muscles
- Earaches and toothaches
Your dentist can diagnose TMJ for certain and offer you solutions for jaw pain. Reducing symptoms related to muscle tension can alleviate the accompanying headache you might have.
Other ways to relieve or cope with TMJ pain include avoiding excess chewing (such as gum), making time for regular exercise, and massaging your jaw.
Teeth Grinding and Clenching
You might experience bruxism, the act of grinding or clenching your teeth, only while asleep or perhaps throughout the day. Bruxism can be caused by stress, misaligned teeth, or nerve and muscle diseases in the face.
Bruxism symptoms can include:
- Morning headaches
- Migraines
- Grinding sounds at night
- Tight jaw muscles
- Cracked or damaged teeth, leading to tooth pain
If you display any symptoms, seek out your dentist for a proper diagnosis. Your dentist can solve dental-related bruxism by fixing your alignment or fitting you for an anti-grinding mouthguard.
Stress-related bruxism can be treated with professional counseling, relaxation techniques, or prescription medication.
Toothaches
If the pain and stress of a toothache are severe enough, migraines might result. Also, as we noted earlier, migraines might cause dental pain. This is due to a nerve injury related to both conditions. If the cause of head pain stems from a cavity or gum issue, a dentist can help.
Tooth pain, jaw pain, headaches, or any facial pain might occur in conjunction with a migraine. Whatever is causing the pain, we don’t want you to just live with it. Talk to your dentist first to see if it’s an oral problem. Your dental professional can either treat the pain or recommend a medical consultation. We want whatever is best for you to feel better and for you to smile more.
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