Common Causes of Orofacial Pain


Spark Sleep Solutions in San Jose, CA is your go-to solution to have a better night’s rest. We also like to educate our patients on healthy habits and awareness of sleep diseases like sleep apnea and recognizing orofacial pain symptoms. You might experience orofacial pain if you have headaches, and pain within the jaw, eyes, mouth, neck, teeth, and ears. We like to help our patients pinpoint the causes of orofacial pain and how to relieve it.

TMD & TMJ

TMD, also known as TMJ, are jaw problems that need to be treated by your dentist and possibly an oral surgeon. A very common symptom of TMJ is hearing your jaw click. This is when there are problems with your jaw bones and joints. Please reach out to your dentist as soon as possible as this is a serious medical issue that needs to be treated.

Teeth Grinding & Clenching

Teeth grinding and clenching is a common sleep problem amongst adults. It could be a sign of jaw problems and cause more problems down the line, such as with your teeth, which then you might need to see an orthodontist. There are also simple solutions such as wearing a mouthguard when you sleep. Please visit your dentist and/or doctor if teeth grinding and teeth clenching becomes an issue.

Throat

Some symptoms of orofacial pain might be within the throat, such as: waking up with a sore throat, which can be caused by a stuffy nose because you are breathing through your nose in your sleep, laryngitis, swallowing difficulties, voice irregularities, the feeling of a clogged throat, and constant coughing. Sleep apnea starts in the throat. When you sleep, the throat and mouth muscles relax, the soft tissue in the throat can block your airway. At Spark Sleep, one of our specialties is working with patients with sleep apnea treatment. We also recommend seeing your doctor.

Neurovascular Disorders

Neurovascular Disorders are also known as migraines. Migraines are intense headaches that can affect your daily life, such as sleep. If you are experiencing migraines and chronic headaches, please see your doctor as soon as possible.

Burning Dry Mouth Syndrome

Dry mouth syndrome is when you experience a burning or tingling sensation in your mouth, dry mouth, and altered taste of food that is chronic. This is due to nerve damage. Please see your doctor if this occurs.

Eyes

Orofacial pain can also be within your eyes. Your eyes might become sensitive to light, are bloodshot, dry, or feeling pain behind the eyes. A common cause of eye problems is not getting prescription glasses or eye contact and too much screen time. We recommend to our patients to take breaks from their screens and find a hobby that is away from the screen, such as the stress relief of art, and find exercises or sports that you enjoy. Some hobbies might even help you sleep better! Please see your doctor and Ophthalmologist if you experience these symptoms with your eyes.

Neck Pain

Neck pain is common amongst all ranges of adulthood. This can be due to poor posture, sitting and looking down too much, and not using a good pillow when you sleep. Common ways to relieve neck pain are physical therapy, going to see a chiropractor, and getting the proper pillow recommended by your doctor, physical therapist, or chiropractor. Please see your doctor for a referral to a physical therapist and chiropractor.

Visit Spark Sleep Today!

Having difficulty sleeping or experiencing orofacial pain? Contact us to schedule your appointment at our San Jose, CA location today so you can get a better night’s sleep!