Should You Stifle A Yawn To Avoid Jaw Pain?
A patient with a TMJ disorder must navigate life differently than someone with a healthy jaw joint. They carefully avoid certain foods and activities they know will cause their symptoms to flare up. One thing they cannot avoid is yawning, an innocuous, involuntary action if you have a healthy jaw joint but a potential problem for someone with TMD. Yawning with TMD can exacerbate existing pain and tension, cause popping, or result in the jaw locking open, all of which are uncomfortable, to say the least. So, what should you do if you suffer from TMD and need to yawn?
Why We Yawn
A yawn is an involuntary reflex in which you open your mouth, inhale deeply, and then exhale.
It happens most notably when we are tired or bored. However, experts are unsure about the exact reason why we yawn. Some think it helps regulate body temperature. We do know that yawning is contagious. For instance, if you are at the dinner table with your spouse, and they yawn, you may also feel the urge to yawn.
Why Yawning is a Problem
Jaw popping, pain, and locking when you yawn are not normal. It signals a jaw joint disorder. If your jaw joint is unhealthy and you yawn, you may experience pain, your jaw may pop or click or even lock in an open position for a moment. Fatigue, which causes you to yawn more frequently, can make the problem worse because your body is less adept at coping with pain when it is tired. The cause of jaw popping and pain during a yawn is an inflamed, irritated, deteriorated, and often misaligned jaw joint.
How to Avoid the Pain
People with TMD dread yawning and may try to stifle their yawns. This might work temporarily, but it is not a practical solution. Stifling a yawn often results in an even bigger yawn moments later, making the potential consequences worse. The best way to prevent painful, noisy yawns is to seek treatment for your jaw. TMJ treatment is available and will help alleviate pain and popping when yawning and eating and during other activities that trigger TMJ symptoms.
If you notice that yawning often causes you pain or discomfort, please reach out to our office located in London, ON to schedule a consultation where we can talk about your symptoms and screen you for a TMJ disorder. We have proven treatments that will help you yawn without pain.
