Pain below ear next to jaw really worried

[Anxious lu]

The soft part of skin under my right ear next to the point in my jaw is really sore..

It got bad last night when I was eating and then got better then sore again when I ate.

I have woken up and it is quite painful.. It feels former than the other and on googling I fear that I have for a salivary gland cancer..

It has happened before I THINK when I was out and the more I pushed it it felt like saliva released into my mouth and it didn't hurt anymore.

I know this side of my jaw sticks out a bit further when openin my mouth wide but it doesn't feel like its linked with that. It feels like because of eating its linked with saliva.. Really worried any ideas

---------- Post added at 08:12 ---------- Previous post was at 08:08 ----------

The pain seems to have eased up. Wonder if it's linked to me brushingy teeth this morning.

[Tessar]

its quite normal to get pains like this sometimes, it just happens. as an example, i had some stiffness in my jaw joints a couple of nights ago & i thought, oh what's going on. well simple answer for me, i'd been to the dentist that day so obviously i'd had to hold my mouth open for longer than normal. it's probably just one of those things Lu, best to relax & go about your daily business. Getting worried about it (and making it worse by googling) is going to add to any sensations you have. Distract yourself and STOP GOOGLING .... its just not worth it.

[xtremx]

Hi Lucy, Sounds like TMJ to me cause by muscle tension in the jaw.

When you are getting stressed you are most probably clenching your teeth. A few things poit to that is pain when eating and also the area you say were the pain is points to TMJ.

One thing to look for to see if you are clenching your teeth is look at your tongue if it is scalloped around the edges ie: if you can see indents around the edge of the tongue were it has been pushing hard against the teeth, That points to clenching your teeth.
Don't worry if you dont have the indents but it is a 50/50 thing that happens to people. I know if I'm really anxious and go to bed in the morning my tongue is really scalloped in the morning.

But like I said everything yuo have said says to me TMJ.

[Anxious lu]

Hi there,

Thank you for the reply my Tongue is often scalloped and I have before woken in the morning with tw most painful jaw from biting down. When my anxiety was high I was be standing at work and all of a sudden realise that I was biting down hard.

It's just annoying that it comes on when I eat it's so achy and I love eating :-( lol.

I honestly thought it was to do with my saliva blocking the duct at least x

---------- Post added at 08:43 ---------- Previous post was at 08:39 ----------

However for as long as I can remember my jaw clicks and grinds when I eat hard chewy things or grates when I wake up. I have never experienced pain with this though and thought that pain would be Infront of my ear where the joint sticks out..?

[xtremx]

Hi there,

Thank you for the reply my Tongue is often scalloped and I have before woken in the morning with tw most painful jaw from biting down. When my anxiety was high I was be standing at work and all of a sudden realise that I was biting down hard.

It's just annoying that it comes on when I eat it's so achy and I love eating :-( lol.

I honestly thought it was to do with my saliva blocking the duct at least x

---------- Post added at 08:43 ---------- Previous post was at 08:39 ----------

However for as long as I can remember my jaw clicks and grinds when I eat hard chewy things or grates when I wake up. I have never experienced pain with this though and thought that pain would be Infront of my ear where the joint sticks out..?

Hiya, to quote you "However for as long as I can remember my jaw clicks and grinds when I eat hard chewy things or grates when I wake up".
Lets address that statement, It my have happened for as long as you remember but don't forget with you suffering from anxiety you are going to be tensing your muscles up more that you ever have done before so that is going to be adding to the pressure put upon the muscles and joints of the jaw.
Also because of the anxiety you are now going to be hype aware of the sensations you are feeling, we have covered that before But you/me/all of us have to remember nearly every sensation we are feeling now that is causing us concern we have felt in the past but we have just brushed it aside and not been concerned....But because of anxiety it has made us forget that.

Check this out for Exercises to relax the jaw http://www.livestrong.com/article/41...x-jaw-muscles/

[Anxious lu]

Thank you for your reassurance.

I have noticed now that when I open my jaw wide it hurts which I know is caused by tmj as there is no saliva caused by eating. I am calming down a bit nowi thought for ages I may have it due to the clicking and grinding and that fact that when I feel this side sticks out further than the other when I open my mouth as wide as I can.

It just didn't bother me as I've not experienced pain with it. Sometimes im tempted to push the joint when I eat hard things to stop the clicking as it irritates me. Thank you I have realised how silly I am being first thing in the morning your mind always races x