Sarita94
15-06-16, 14:16
Hi everyone,
This is just a quick notice about something that happened to me today that I feel really illustrates the wide range of effects anxiety can have on our bodies.
I've had wisdom tooth problems for a while now, funnily enough I didn't have health anxiety over this, but I have had lots of infections, antibiotics, abscesses- you name it. One infection even went into the jaw and it was the most painful thing I ever experienced- one tooth was removed as an emergency to relieve pressure in my mouth. Anyway, my regular dentist is convinced they need to come out ASAP, and I had my appointment at the hospital today.
The specialist was lovely, he took one look in my mouth and said 'you're grinding your teeth!!'. Basically, my X-ray was fine, no decay, weird angles or anything. I'm grinding my teeth so heavily of a night, that i'm gnawing away part of my gum and crushing in pieces of remaining food/bacteria. He then asked me to tense the muscles in my mouth- he said they felt like they were popping out because they had gotten so big from the constant grinding!
The grinding is something that I was totally unaware of and so was my regular dentist. However, apparently it could also explain some of my headaches, neck pain and shoulder aches that I often obssess over. The specialist told me it is especially common in women and people that suffer from stress- when he asked me if I had ever had anxiety, I nearly laughed!
What i'm trying to say, is that anxiety can be at work subconsciously, even when we're completely not aware of it- like when we sleep. The specialist reckons that a good gum shield and perhaps shaving down my very sharp teeth might sort me out. Who would have thought?!
:)
This is just a quick notice about something that happened to me today that I feel really illustrates the wide range of effects anxiety can have on our bodies.
I've had wisdom tooth problems for a while now, funnily enough I didn't have health anxiety over this, but I have had lots of infections, antibiotics, abscesses- you name it. One infection even went into the jaw and it was the most painful thing I ever experienced- one tooth was removed as an emergency to relieve pressure in my mouth. Anyway, my regular dentist is convinced they need to come out ASAP, and I had my appointment at the hospital today.
The specialist was lovely, he took one look in my mouth and said 'you're grinding your teeth!!'. Basically, my X-ray was fine, no decay, weird angles or anything. I'm grinding my teeth so heavily of a night, that i'm gnawing away part of my gum and crushing in pieces of remaining food/bacteria. He then asked me to tense the muscles in my mouth- he said they felt like they were popping out because they had gotten so big from the constant grinding!
The grinding is something that I was totally unaware of and so was my regular dentist. However, apparently it could also explain some of my headaches, neck pain and shoulder aches that I often obssess over. The specialist told me it is especially common in women and people that suffer from stress- when he asked me if I had ever had anxiety, I nearly laughed!
What i'm trying to say, is that anxiety can be at work subconsciously, even when we're completely not aware of it- like when we sleep. The specialist reckons that a good gum shield and perhaps shaving down my very sharp teeth might sort me out. Who would have thought?!
:)