HEAD/EAR/JAW PAIN CUD IT BE SOMETHING SERIOUS :(

[SAM21]

HELP NEED ADVICE :( ANXIETY & TEETH CLENCHING?)

hi,

i been having anxiety problems since jun05 when i had throat problems however iv always been a worrier. my throat is much better but
since then i have been having pains in my head and ear n jaw the pain is mainly on the right side but occasinally the left as well
....
i been to the dentist who said i probly clench my teeth whilst asleep and i have caught my self clenching during the daytime...but my dont hurt they jus feel sore...the pain is mainly in my head n ear

but im worried because ive had this problem for a 1 and a half year almost and it has become worse, i jus recently realised that it was due to clenching....

this clenching problem is turning out to be a huge nightmare as i cant stop my self from clenching in my sleep...i wake up everymorning in pain,

it sounds stupid but i have developed a fear that wot if all my teeth fall out due to clenching everynight...i havnt been able to eat properly for 2 weeks as pain is at its worse, which is a real problem as it is interfering with breastfeeding my baby.

i can easily control clenching during the day but when im asleep its impossible. :(

i dont knw wot to do now im feeeling so upset and helpless...what can i do to help me get out of this habbit.

i cant stop worrying sometimes i get these thoughts that wot if the pain isnt cuased by clenching how can something like this cause such pain, and wot if i have someting seriously wrong with me that is causing the pain.

does anyone have any advice or has anyone else had this problem...i need reasurance. i would b very grateful.


thankyou

i hope all this makes sense

sam

[nomorepanic]

Sam

I am surprised your dentist didn't suggest a mouth guard which is worn at night and will stop you clenching your teeth.

A few people on here have said it really helped them once they got one.

Nicola

People will forget what you said
People will forget what you did
But people will never forget how you made them feel

[Dreamer029]

yeah i clench my teeth at night and they gave me a fitted mouth guard...i lost it though ....hahaha. oops!

:-)
Lauren

[999madmax]

Hi All,
I have high anxiety and i always clench my jaws and i can`t stand it, nut i have done for so long i my life i can`t get out of the habit! Grr
But just reading the title got me really interested as i have been having problems with my jaw/ear..
I started with ear ache in my left ear and i now feel deaf in my ear! as i am away for the week seeing family i asked my mom to get me in the doctors and so i went and the good thing was that she didn`t find anything wrong - But what could it be? :(

Unfortunatly i can`t really give any advice but just to say you are not alone. Lets hope something can be done soon!!

LOL
Madmax
-*-

[SAM21]

HIYA

thankyou for the replies and reasurance...

im goin to see if i can get a mouth guard...

Lauren wanted to ask u....did the mouth guard really work and did it help u break the habbit of clenching?

is any1 else using a mouth guard?

thanku

sam

[janey50]

Hi Sam A good friend of mine got a mouth guard for the night-time teeth clenching and said it helped a lot. I asked my dentist and he recommended me one too, but the cost was huge so I didn't go ahead. Maybe you can get one on the NHS. Try not to worry about it, though. Clenching your teeth does leave you feeling sore in the morning but it won't cause any further health probs and will stop on its own when your anxiety levels drop - eventually!

[rb1978]

I've been having problems like this for about 6 months now - though with me it's mainly in my ear. It's always on the left side and most days I have some form of pain either in the ear or neck and less frequently, jaw joint and head. Pressure pains mainly. I haven't been able to get a definite diagnosis from anyone yet. My own thoughts are it's a problem with the pressure in each ear (the left side pops a lot) aggravated by anxiety. I've had it 6 months and over this time it hasn't worsened noticeably.

I notice that the pains are worse if I have a bad night or if I don't wind down properly before bed so I think that overnight anxiety whilst you're asleep definitely plays a part. Sometimes I get buzzing in the ear - that always seems to trigger my anxiety more.

My dentist told me about mouth guards...it sounded as though the costs range from about £40 or £50 for a plastic one to hundreds of pounds for one that was tailored to your bite and made in a lab by an orthodontist etc. Suppose it maybe depends on your practice - I moved around a lot in the last few years and have ended up as a private patient paying top whack. I've never used one myself but know people who have and have heard they work.

[carly123]

Might be tension. My friend had similar symptoms for ages was convinced she had a brain tumour (she doesn't suffer anxiety so it must have been pretty bad) and was told it was tension, probably from stress.

[SAM21]

THANK YOU ALL...for the replies...

i visited the dentist again who has took an impression/mould of my bottom teeth to get a mouth guard (appliance)made for me.
I'm due to get the mouth guard next week...but I'm still very anxious not only because the pain is bad but also because i cant stop worrying about what if the guard does not stop the teeth clenching i dont know wot i will do.


I'm very tense...could anyone else using the guard please answer the following questions for my reassurance and to help my mind rest....

*how long did u use the guard
*and has it stopped you clenching i mean does it actually work
* wot kind of guard do u have? is it a hard acrylic one or soft one and
*does it fit on the top or bottom teeth


thank you

SAM


sam

[nomorepanic]

Use the search facility to look for all posts containing the words "mouth guard".

I know there are loads but don't have the time to look.

Hope it helps you anyway.

Nicola

People will forget what you said
People will forget what you did
But people will never forget how you made them feel

[ardyce]

It may be TMJ (TemporoMandibular Joint) . I have that and it can be very painful...sometimes the pain radiates up into my head and down into my shoulder......anyway anxiety and TMJ are linked and related if you do a Google search of those two words loads will come up. Amazing how many different ways our bodies reacts to anxiety.

I have yet to get a guard as I have no insurance and little money but have found that trying to not clench so much helps.

Ardyce

[chellebelle]

Hi! I bought a mouthguard off ebay for 15 dollars delivered (and that's australian dollars, which to everyone else is pretty much a dollar or two).

I can use it on the top or bottom teeth, it is specially designed so that it is impossible to choke on at night. It is supposed to help to retrain your jaw to stop clenching. I find it helps somewhat - anything is worth a try!

Good luck!

"This too shall pass"