Jaw Bone/Lymph Node Issues. Just Tired.

[lsgarcia0725]

This is one of those cases where I know I'm being irrational but I just need reassurance, I guess. Yesterday, on the right side of my jaw, along the curve of my face, a section of bone hurt when I pressed it. Back behind my chin, in the soft spot that would line up right below the right side of my tongue, it was tender and sore to press up on. It's gone today but now both symptoms are on my left side. I think I've noticed the jaw bone pain before at times. It feels like there's a notch on this left side but I know that my shin bones, for example, the bone just feels uneven and kind of bumpy, so maybe that's just the natural structure. My lymph nodes are constantly swelling up randomly, as are my tonsils (they've always been oversized so they tend to cause problems). Background, I'm an unhealthy person in general, I've always been underweight, my diet isn't great, I've been plagued with undiagnosed stomach problems since I was 5 and I have acid reflux. I have amplified pain syndrome and hypermobility and dental issues, not to mention a checklist of mental disorders. I'm constantly sick and every day, there's some kind of new pain worrying me. If one of them suddenly goes away, it's soon replaced by another ache or pain to let my anxiety go wild with. I try to rationalize it and not go to the doctor because I know it'll probably subside, and my fiance helps reassure me,but sometimes I'm just not strong enough. Could anybody help me at all? I'm sure there's no real issue with this bone and lymph node thing but can anybody else please tell me that, so I don't feel like I'm going crazy?? Thank you so much in advance

[LunarCoffee]

Everyone gets random pains and aches sometimes. That's just being an imperfect biological creature. About the lymph nodes, if you're touching them more than once a day, then you're probably irritating them, which makes them not go down.

[lsgarcia0725]

Thank you so much. Believe it or not, I'd never heard of the lymph node thing! Whenever one swells, I press it once an hour or so just to check up on it. Ugh to think I've been making matters worse this whole time!

[ErinKC]

I think I get this exact thing you're describing. Every now and then there's a section of my jaw that gets tender. When it's sore I can feel what I suppose is maybe a tendon or something that's swollen and moves around. I think I have undiagnosed TMJ since my jaw pops a lot and get sore if I eat too many crunchy things, so I just attribute it to that - some kind of random inflammation. It's come and gone for years, so can't be anything serious!

[LunarCoffee]

After I posted my last post, I realized that a part of my left jaw was also tender. Also, my orthodontist told me that over 60% of all people have an issue with their jaw. My left jaw join makes a clicking sound when I move it in certain ways, or just open my mouth really wide.

About the lymph nodes, I find it counterintuitive that websites tell you a "diameter" for lymph nodes, because they're not spherical, but actually are oval-shaped. One "side" can be around 2x as long, and that is usually the side you feel when feeling the jaw ones. This makes sense, as the lymphatic vessels connecting the nodes should cause the nodes to elongate along the vessels for efficiency, and the vessels in your jaw happen to be parallel to the ground. Sometimes, I'll tense up my lower jaw area, which pushes the jaw nodes further out, and I feel that they are actually quite small. So, basically, they feel different depending on where you're feeling from.

[lsgarcia0725]

Oh gosh, I'm SO glad I'm not the only one. It's such a bizarre feeling, it seems like it should be more serious than it actually is. And same here, I'm sure I have TMJ too, my jaw clicks and pops constantly, but whenever I search those symptoms, it always shows up as jaw tenderness that manifests in the actual hinge of your mandible, like it gets exhausting or something.
And thank you for the lymph nodes tip! I'm learning so much about them just from this one post, lol. I think sometimes when my tonsils act up, it pushes back on the lymph nodes and causes them to bulge a bit more, as well, maybe? I didn't even realize there were lymph nodes under my chin til I felt that pain the past couple days and realized it felt like the pain I get when my lymph nodes on the sides of my neck swell so I googled it. And sure enough! Today it's calmed down on both sides under my chin, so that's a relief.

---------- Post added at 07:20 ---------- Previous post was at 07:18 ----------

That'd make sense! I have some TMJ symptoms too, the dislocating and popping and whatnot. How weird that it makes the bone itself hurt, it's kind of annoying because my day is just fine and then I notice it and the entire rest of the day, I'm feeling at it, looking for changes, etc.

---------- Post added at 07:21 ---------- Previous post was at 07:20 ----------

Sorry, I made the account just to post this, so I very well might not be replying correctly, just the buttons I click or whatever, so I'm sorry in advance!