Any inflammation brings us a lot of suffering, and with problems with the jaw joint, a person cannot eat at all. How to deal with pain in the facial joint? What, in principle, is it - inflammation of the jaw joint? We will discuss the symptoms, treatment and causes of this medical problem.
Anatomy of the temporomandibular joint
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the articulation that connects the lower jaw to the temporal bone just in front of the ear on each side of the head.
The joint consists of the following parts:
- mandibular head;
- condyle - the head of the lower jaw, included in the capsule;
- articular capsule;
- articular disc, which is made up of cartilage.
- intracapsular and extracapsular ligaments.
There are two joints, and they work simultaneously. The human jaw is able to move forward, move sideways, and move up and down. This structure allows us to chew food and talk.
Inflammation of the jaw joint. Symptoms
If any inflammation occurs in one joint, the whole system will be disturbed. Therefore, inflammation of the jaw joint requires a medical examination and proper treatment.
Inflammation can be acute or chronic. Acute inflammation of the jaw joint usually occurs after trauma, prolapse of the condyle from the capsule or dislocation of the jaw. Chronic inflammation develops slowly, most often as a result of defects (malocclusion) or poor-quality work of a dentist. Pain in this case is not strong, aching. Sometimes a person does not suspect the causes of this pain. It happens that inflammation is transmitted from the inner ear to the joint.
After all, the ear canal, its shell and jaw joint are in close proximity. Thus, osteomyelitis or meningitis can cause inflammation. It happens that this condition is provoked by lupus erythematosus (an autoimmune disease) or rheumatoid arthritis. Lots of options.
Inflammatory symptoms
The first symptoms of this condition should not be ignored. A person will lose normal working capacity when his temporomandibular joint hurts. Inflammation, the symptoms of which we will give, in medicine is called "arthritis of the temporomandibular joint." If the inflammation is not treated, it leads to degenerative changes. This condition of the joint will already be called arthrosis. Then more time and money will have to be spent on treatment.
In acute andchronic arthritis symptoms vary. Symptoms of acute inflammation:
- redness and swelling in the joint area;
- tissue hyperemia nearby;
- sometimes tinnitus and crackling;
- jaw grinding at night;
- difficulty opening mouth;
- sharp pain when moving, radiating to the ears and back of the head;
- dizziness;
- fever.
In chronic inflammation, the symptoms are different:
- aching pain;
- feelings of jaw stiffness, especially if the sleeping position is chosen face down;
- pain increases when pressing on the jaw;
- possible hearing loss.
Typically, inflammation of a chronic nature is not accompanied by reddening of the surrounding tissues or the inability to open the mouth. However, it is still desirable to eat sparing liquid food at this time and treat inflammation. After all, prolonged inflammation without the necessary treatment will lead to facial deformity.
Infectious inflammation. Ways of infection
Inflammation of the jaw joint can also begin as a result of an infectious disease. Diseases such as tonsillitis, common flu, can even lead to inflammation of the joints.
Also, provocateurs can be:
- tuberculosis stick;
- syphilis virus;
- gonorrhea;
- mastoiditis (inflammation of the mastoid process of one of the bones of the skull);
- actinomycetes fungus;
- purulent osteomyelitis.
In this case, together with the diagnosis"inflammation of the temporomandibular joint" (symptoms are often eloquent) there will be no delay, with the definition of the type of infection, too. The therapist will determine the infection after taking an anamnesis (medical history) and looking at the tests, and may ask for an x-ray. How can an infection get into the jaw joint?
The infection can switch and provoke inflammation of the jaw joint in several ways:
- through blood;
- lymph;
- directly through open cuts.
It is the underlying disease that needs to be treated. Since the structure of the joint itself is not damaged in this case, this problem will also pass along with the cure of the infection.
Post-traumatic and rheumatoid inflammation
Those people who suffer from arthritis of the joints in the knees and elbows sometimes suffer from rheumatism of the jaw joint. Then you need to contact only a rheumatologist.
Arthritis after a jaw injury will pass when the effects of the injury pass. Inflammation is provoked by blood clots that have fallen into the joint cavity. The doctor must definitely clean the entire joint.
During acute pains, the jaw should be tightly bandaged and the patient should not be allowed to speak or chew. At this time, you will have to eat only liquid yogurts and soups mashed on a blender.
Inflammation of the joint as a result of malocclusion
At the beginning of the article it was mentioned that an incorrect bite can lead to inflammation. Why does this happen? In the human body, symmetry is one of the main laws. The height of the teeth should be the same and they are tightshould mix. Otherwise, the load on the joints will be uneven. In cases where the bite is formed incorrectly: the lower jaw sinks too much or protrudes, the jaw joint begins to hurt over the years from the load and can become inflamed. The same situation occurs when several teeth on one side are missing and the chewing load is transferred to the other side.
To cope with such pain, you need to go to an orthodontist who deals with correcting such problems with your teeth. But other causes of inflammation must be excluded before starting treatment.
To check whether there is an improvement or not, it is enough to put a special mouth guard in your mouth and walk around with it for several days. The pain will lessen or even disappear if the cause is indeed dental problems.
Complications of HChS inflammation
An uncured infectious disease is one of the most dangerous causes of inflammation of the facial joint. What happens if the joint is not treated? First, the pain will periodically come. Articular cartilage is made up of connective tissue. And if suppuration begins in the joint area, this cartilage will quickly collapse.
Purulent temporal phlegmon sets in. Then, if the patient does not come to the surgeon to remove the pus, it can be transferred to other nearby tissues.
The acute nature of the disease without pus can also significantly ruin the life of someone who is afraid of treatment. The process of adhesion begins in the joint, and over time it ceases to be mobile. This process is calledfibrous ankylosis. If this happens on one side, then the entire face is deformed. The next stage of the disorder is bone ankylosis, when the joint tissue finally ossifies.
How to deal with pain?
Sometimes the pain due to arthritis of the facial joint is unbearable. People cannot eat for weeks, much less yawn. And while the main treatment lasts, you need to somehow cope with the pain that radiates far from the site of inflammation. Conventional drugs such as Ibuprofen are suitable for this. Any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pills available in the home first aid kit will come in handy.
During severe pain, the joint must be immobilized - apply a special bandage. It is advisable to apply a hot and dry compress to the temple. In a frying pan, it is enough to heat the s alt and put it in a bag of plain fabric. Some prefer to use ointments.
But it happens that painkillers are not enough. Then the doctor has the right to prescribe injections.
These injections block the pain completely in 15 minutes. Assign in injections "Tramadol" or "Trimeperidine". These drugs belong to the class of narcotic drugs, and their doctor uses them only in exceptional cases, when the pain is unbearable, for example, after a jaw injury.
There is also the drug Nalbuphine. The drug is not so strong, it does not belong to narcotic drugs, but it is not well studied.
Inflammation of the jaw joint. Treatment
How to determine the inflammation of the jaw joint? Which doctor will help findsolution? First you need to contact a therapist who will conduct an initial examination, and then he will refer you to a specialist who can practically help.
If the patient has problems with bite, you need to contact the dentist, otitis should be treated by ENT. You may need the help of a gnathologist or neuromuscular dentist. And if the pain began after an injury, then you need to go to the jaw surgeon.
