Have you ever wondered why your body just can’t fight off pain or sickness? Even when you’ve been taking everything that was recommended by your doctor and tried all the natural remedies you could find on the internet, nothing works. It seems as though you’re bound to suffer. Well, what if it’s not that what you’ve been doing or taking isn’t meant to help? What if you just haven't pinpointed what has been causing the pain? A lot of the time, when it comes to physical pain, it’s because the body is suffering from something and the physical pain is a symptom. Take for example headaches. Your headaches can be caused because of something internally as well as physically. Maybe it’s time to learn about certain quirks and conditions that cause these headaches. clenching your jaw
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5 Factors That Cause Headaches
There are a lot of reasons why you may be suffering from headaches. These can be things we do absentmindedly and some may even be called a quirk. Here are 5 circumstances that can end up causing headaches:
Bruxism: Bruxism is when you have a habit of constantly clenching your jaw. The pain from clenching your jaw leads to tension and pain that travels to other places in your skull.
Brain Freeze: A brain freeze is a cold stimulus headache. When you consume something extremely cold, whether it be ice cream or an icy drink, a cold stimulus headache appears when the cold drink or substance drags over the back of your throat and palate.
Sinus Congestion: If you suffer from trouble with your sinuses, this could be a reason why you suffer from headaches as well. A sinus headache usually comes from a sinus infection. An infection will cause congestion and inflammation.
Your Environment: Certain environmental factors can explain why you suffer from headaches. What and how you eat, consuming too much alcohol, lighting, weather changes emotional stress, etc.
Cluster Headaches: As the most severe type of headaches, cluster headaches usually come in a group where a person can experience 1 to 8 headaches every day for months at a time. They may disappear for a few months once they go into remission but can always reoccur later on.
Why You Might Be Experiencing This Quirky Yet Painful Habit
Out of all 5 factors listed above on what could be causing you headaches, bruxism is the one that stands out the most. Why? Because thisis a habit that happens absentmindedly. In fact, jaw clenching can come from you experiencing those other four factors when suffering from a headache.
Think of the environmental challenges that could cause you stress. When stressed, you can unknowingly clench your jaw out of habit, or when you experience a brain freeze.
Also, eating certain foods that cause you to chew longer and are harder to break down can lead to a long-lasting headache as well. Regardless of what is causing the headache, there’s a huge possibility that jaw clenching can be one of the symptoms which can lead to more pain.
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How Constantly Clenching Your Jaw Affects Your Daily Life
For the most part, clenching your jaw all the time does impact your life in certain ways, as well as grinding your teeth. When done during the day, it’s usually caused by stress and anxiety.
When done at night, it’s usually due to sleep apnea, or acid reflux. Not only can it cause consistent pain, but it can also cause toothaches and fractures from the constant grinding of your teeth. It can also cause muscle problems in the jaw that can restrict its movement and motions, which can affect how you eat and speak.
Ways To Prevent And Cope With Bruxism And Its Symptoms
To prevent and cope with bruxism many resources may be available to you. One type of treatment is medication. Usually, a doctor will prescribe you muscle relaxers or antidepressants to help with bruxism.
Another form of help is working with a psychologist to help identify your triggers and learn stress management skills to assist when you catch yourself clenching or grinding your teeth.
Then there are procedures such as botox, which when injected will paralyze the muscles in your jaw.
Knowing what you do now, see if this habit could possibly be a cause for your headaches or a symptom of one of the other factors you may face. The more you know, the better your chances are to get the help you need to fix it.