Pain and weird stiff feeling in Jaw after flying

[louise123_uk]

I suffer on take off and landing of flights from pain in the ear and often a sense of disorientation to the point where I dont know if I'm sitting or standing. In the past I have felt dizzy after getting off a flight for up to 2 or 3 months, I have visted the doc previously and she has said she can see fluid in my ear where it shouldn't be that has been pushed there by the pressure of landing/take off and to inhale steam to try and encourage it to go back to normal.

I flew 2 days ago and the landing was very bad, my boyfriend said even he felt intense pressure in his ears and head (he doesn't usually) and there were people on the plane crying! Basically I think it was a very quick landing where the pilot brings the plane down too suddenly so there is more pressure than perhaps there is usually. I got a pain in my ears worse than ever before and I felt like I was actually being pushed down and I went completely daeaf for about 3 to 4 hours. The worst bit however was the pain in my jaw and the feeling of stiffness, which is still present (I can hear fine now and dont feel dizzy).

My jaw had been feeling stiff since the first flight I went on this month just over a week ago and I would wake up on hol with a pain in the Jaw joint but now it feels stiff all the time and just kind of weird and I feel hyper aware of my jaw (weird I know). I can open my mouth wide but it feel stiff and clunky... I have uneven teeth and my teeth dont fit together perfectly but I havent had pain in the past and my dentist has always said that my jaw fits together fine. I just dont seem to know how to put my jaw at the moment for the best, closing my mouth fully feels tight but relaxing the jaw slightly makes me feel like im putting pressure on the jaw. I couldnt even sleep last night as I couldnt find a comfy postion for my jaw.

Has anyone else had anyything like this after flying? I'm assuming it is related to the flight and my ears but guess it might not be.... I'm just getting paranoid that my jaw might lock and get stuck open or dislocate....

[paincouldberelieved]

Hi,

I had similar kind of pain in my right half of the face,primarily the right jaw upto the ear and behind and inside the ear.Its been 9 months now and there is no sign of subsiding.

I have done all kinds of tests Audiometry ,impedance test for ear and a TMJ xray for a possible TMJ.But all the results came negative and doctor said im fine.

A dentist advised me Myoril 8 mg capsules twice a day for a week but it did not help me.

While on-board my 12 hour flight,i had continuous popping and clicking sounds in my ear and jaw.Which was hell ! and excruciatingly painful.For the next 3 months after my flight i still had the popping and clicking ongoing everyday and a unusual stiffness while i opened by jaw or closed.I am always aware of my right face 24 *7 and there is no sign of relief .Few days its ok and then suddenly it shoots up.

I still have the pain post 9 months,even as i write this post.I am in a dilemma how to resolve it as it is taking its toll on my overall health and concentrating of my work is decreasing day by day.
Please,if anyone has any idea kindly help a brother in despair!!.

[jillyb]

Sounds to me like classic TMJ syndrome. More often than not it's the muscles and not the actual joint that cause the problems. There's lots of info on the web about this. I am seeing an osteopath for mine and he has been brilliant at explaining how everything is interconnected. He also explained that although my dentist says my bite is fine the muscles can make it feel it's not. The nerves in our mouths are so sensitive that just a tiny bit out feels massive! It's taken me ages to believe that all my symptoms are due to the TMJ issue, but I am getting there. Mine is definitely caused through tension and you may well have been incredibly tense with a landing like that! It is an area of the body that is incredibly susceptible to stress and one that is almost impossible to rest as we need to talk, eat etc. The main muscle that causes the problem is the masseter. When under tension it can cause painful trigger points and scarring to develop ..this is what my osteopath is working on. It's a slow process but it's definitely improving. I also wear a night guard, but this mainly protects the teeth. Look up bruxism too. I am not advocating Dr Google but I have found a lot of information about the condition on the internet. I hope this is some help to you and wish you well. X

[Soozarna]

Yes definitely sounds like anxiety tension in the jaw which may continue through the night via teeth grinding. I had this really quite bad once and thought I had a mechanical jaw problem, but having seen the symptoms on other anxious friends I realised what it was. I have just started citalopram for another anxiety I have and the first night I work up with a tight jaw and sensitive teeth. I am sure I was grinding my teeth last night with the anxiety. However, beware of over zealous dentists - I was offered dental work to stop the problem which was going to cost me thousands of pounds. Eventually my problem resolved itself without the expensive treatment.