The temporomandibular joints are the points on each side of your jaw where the jawbone connects to the skull. Perhaps mercifully, the joint is usually referred to as the TMJ. It is susceptible to a painful condition called TMJ Disorder, or TMD, which is treatable at Poss Sleep Apnea & TMJ Solutions in Brentwood.
The causes of TMD are difficult to determine. Just as mysterious is why more women have it than men. One possibility is that women are more likely to seek treatment for TMD than men: three times as likely, according to some figures.
That three-to-one ratio skyrockets to ninety percent, when looking at the most extreme cases of TMD. Hormones appears to be a factor in this. Men and women have different natural hormone levels. Women of childbearing age are at the highest risk of developing TMD, and women in this group have great fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone levels.
Women also report higher levels of stress and anxiety than men do, and this is another significant factor for developing TMD.
Women who experience any level of discomfort in their jaw should talk to us. Look out for any of the following symptoms:
- Popping sounds in the jaw
- Aches or pain while chewing
- Headaches
- Pain in the jaw joint, face, neck, shoulders
- Trouble opening or closing the jaw, or lockjaw
- Muscle spasms
- Swelling of the face
Poss Sleep Apnea & TMJ Solutions in Brentwood can diagnose whether you have TMD, and if you do, recommend a course of treatment. While scientists do not fully understand TMD, treatment is effective and can provide relief.
