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TMJ conditions may actually affect thousands of people but despite the obvious fact that the condition is real, not everyone realizes that they already have a TMJ condition. Sometimes, the condition may be so mild that it escapes notice. At other times, a person may already have a severe TMJ symptom but may not know it because of misdiagnosis. What can be considered a severe TMJ symptom?

TMJ Symptoms

Different individuals experience TMJ symptoms in varying degrees. A severe TMJ symptom however may not only cause considerable pain but may also result in other physical conditions. Here are some symptoms:

- A severe headache is one TMJ symptom. It is possible that this particular symptom is a referred type of pain that is the result of the pressure on the jaw joints. Some people may experience tremendous headaches but are unfortunately unable to get proper treatment. This is because a TMJ headache can sometimes be misdiagnosed as migraine or some other type of head pain.

- Another severe TMJ condition would also include facial pains, and aches near the areas of the ears, back, neck and shoulders. Sometimes, part of the face may begin to swell.

- A ringing sound which may accompany the pain in the ears is also another severe TMJ symptom. In some cases, the ear can be so affected that a person suffers from dizziness.

- Another severe TMJ symptom are worn, damaged or deformed teeth. This happens when a person instinctively tries to correct an uncomfortable bite by grinding the teeth. Frequent grinding itself can worsen a TMJ condition.

- A severe TMJ symptom to dread is the possible change in jaw direction and the shape of the face. Depending on your TMJ condition, you could suffer from jaw deviations whenever you open your mouth. You could also end up with a face that looks like it has a receding chin and a forward moving forehead.

- Jaw popping or clicking is another severe TMJ symptom. This happens when the joints misalign due to cartilage deficiencies and then realign. In the most severe cases, it can progress to lock jaw in which one would be unable to make any kind of jaw movement.

- Another severe TMJ sypmtom would also be speech defects. This severe TMJ symptom is obviously due to the misalignment of the jaws and teeth.

What Triggers Symptoms?

Severe TMJ symptoms can be triggered by various factors. It is quite obvious that one could suffer from a TMJ symptom due to physical accidents or shock. A car accident for example or a sports injury could lead to a TMJ condition. There are times though when a condition can be caused by common habits made worse by stress. There are times for example when we tend to clench our jaws and grind our teeth when we are in tense situations. Repeated clenching and grinding could then lead to a severe TMJ condition. It is also quite possible that a TMJ condition could be precipitated by frequent biting on hard candy, large chunks of meat and hard pastries.