Any pain in the head area brings a lot of discomfort to the person and causes concern. This anxiety is not unfounded, since such symptoms can indicate problems in various systems and organs.
If a person has a jaw near his ear, it hurts to open his mouth, talk or chew food, then a huge number of factors can be the reason for this. Such symptoms may indicate a specific disease occurring in this zone, or about developing pathologies of other organs of the body. It is worth considering the most common factors that affect the development of pain near the ear.
Orthodontic constructions
Bracket systems, removable dentures and any other products that are designed to correct a person’s bite can bring discomfort. Designs of this type are necessary so that teeth that do not grow properly fall into their rightful place.
In this case, the phenomenon is understandable if a person has a jaw near his ear. This condition is considered the norm. After some time, unpleasant symptoms disappear. It must be understood that a removable prosthesis is a foreign body for the oral cavity. For a person to get used to this design, he needs some time.
However, there is a risk that the product was not picked up correctly by the doctor. Because of this, it presses or injures the gums. In this case, inflammation can occur, which leads to the fact that the jaw near the ear hurts, it is painful to chew and open the mouth.
If a person notices redness and swelling in the oral cavity, then it is necessary to consult a specialist, replace the prosthesis or resort to another type of treatment.
Jaw injury
If the jaw hurts near the ear on the right or left, then this may indicate that the person received a bruise or more serious injuries. In the first case, damage to the soft tissues of the mucous membranes of the facial region could occur. The main evidence of such an injury will be the appearance of hematomas, swelling and pain during opening the mouth or in the process of chewing food. As a rule, this symptomatology disappears within 3 days. In order to alleviate your condition during this period, it is recommended to apply cold compresses to damaged areas and exclude solid foods from the food.
If the jaw near the ear on the right hurts, it is painful to open the mouth or it is impossible to close it yourself, then this may indicate that there was a dislocation of the mandibular joint on the right side. In this case, the jaws begin to warp a little, and their fixation can occur only in the open position of the oral cavity. Such dislocations often occur when a person tries to open his mouth too hard or crack a hard object. In such a situation, it is necessary to consult a traumatologist and adjust the jaw.
If the jaw hurts near the ear on the right, it is painful to chew and swelling or hematoma appeared, then this can indicate a fracture. In this case, the damage can be single or multiple, with or without displacement. In a similar situation, it is also necessary to consult a doctor, as it may be necessary to fix the jaw with a special tire. As a rule, you need to wear it about 21 days.
Wisdom teeth
If the jaw near the ear hurts, then this may be due to the fact that one or more wisdom teeth begin to erupt. Not everyone knows that they grow from 14 to 30 years old, so similar problems can be observed not only in adolescents, but also in older people.
When the last chewing teeth appear, patients almost always experience pain. This is due to the fact that teeth break through dense bone tissue, causing pain in the jaw. In addition, this process can lead to inflammation of the mucous membrane, the formation of purulent masses. Often in patients there is an increase in body temperature, swelling of the gums and cheeks. At the same time, a person cannot fully open his mouth and survive food. Pain can be given in the area of the ears, temples, neck and head.
Very often the jaw near the ear hurts in the mouth due to the fact that the rudiment of the wisdom tooth is not positioned correctly. If it begins to grow to the side, it affects neighboring molars, tongue and cheeks. In some situations, wisdom teeth remain hidden and are inside the bone. This is because they begin to grow in a horizontal position. In this case, the destruction of the roots of adjacent teeth occurs.
ANS dysfunction
If there is a malfunction of the mandibular joint, then this can lead to unpleasant symptoms. This disease develops against a background of malocclusion, trauma or improperly installed prostheses. Pain can also be given to the temples and neck. In this case, it is painful for patients to chew or fully open their mouths. Some people face asymmetry.
In the process of treatment, it is necessary to stabilize the joint and eliminate the causes that cause this pathology.
Neuralgia
If a person has a jaw near the ear on the right, then this may be a symptom characteristic of inflammation of the trigeminal facial nerve. This pathology develops against the background of the fact that the nerve endings are squeezed by the blood vessels of the human brain. In this case, it is very easy to determine neuralgia, since it will manifest itself in the form of strong, burning pains resembling discharges of electric current. At the same time, pain occurs in attacks, most often it intensifies at night, in the process of chewing or talking.
Also among the additional symptoms of neuralgia, it is worth highlighting increased salivation and coughing. In this case, seizures occur with the lightest touches to the face. A person can experience severe pain from washing, brushing their teeth or even smiling. The treatment of this ailment involves medications. In difficult situations, you can not do without surgical intervention.
Migraine
In this case, we are talking about fairly strong paroxysmal headaches, which most often spread in the temporal region, eyes and jaw. As a rule, migraine completely affects the right or left front side. Therefore, it is not surprising that a person has a jaw near the ear left or right.
In addition, patients with neuralgia can suffer from vomiting, visual disturbances, numbness of the legs and arms. To date, specialists have not yet been able to find out why precisely these or those people develop migraine. However, antidepressants, painkillers and vasodilators are most often used for its treatment.
Arteritis
In this case, the jaw near the ear hurts due to the inflammation of the walls of the facial arteries. In this case, discomfort can also appear in the cheek and eyes. It is painful for patients to chew, swallow and open their mouth during a conversation. As a rule, women in the age category of more than 50 years suffer most from arteritis.
In addition, there is not one variety of this ailment. For each specific situation, the necessary treatment is prescribed.
Other reasons
Pain in the jaw (upper, lower, right and left side) can occur against the background of:
- Osteomyelitis. In this case, we are talking about inflammation of the jaw. A similar pathology can develop due to improper treatment of sinusitis, tooth extraction or implantation. In this case, patients have an increased body temperature.
- Gingivitis. In this case, we are talking about inflammatory processes that occur in the soft tissues of the gums. In this case, bleeding and a rather severe pain syndrome are observed. A person develops bad breath and his body temperature rises.
- Submandibular abscess. In this case, patients most often complain that the jaw near the ear on the right hurts, it hurts to open the mouth and chew. Discomfort can also be observed in the left ear.
If the patient has pain only during chewing and there is discomfort in the right or left ear, then this may indicate the development of:
- Carotidinia. This disease develops due to stratification of the temporal artery. Also, pathology can appear against the background of the appearance of a tumor in the soft tissues or with irritation of the nerve endings, which are located near the carotid artery.
- Auricular neuralgia. In this case, the pathology develops against a background of severe sore throat, hypothermia or sinusitis. The pain is paroxysmal, burning in nature. Most of the unpleasant sensations appear in the temples. After this, the pain passes into the ear and extends to the entire lower jaw to the chin. As a rule, the patient experiences the most discomfort when pressed in the area under the ear.
Self treatment
If the jaw hurts near the ear, then in order to get rid of the pain syndrome at home, it is recommended to use analgesics. However, you need to understand that they will not help to eliminate the initial disease, but only temporarily reduce the level of discomfort. Such drugs include analgin, "Ketanov" and other means.
If a person does not want to take risks and use medicines, then you can try traditional medicine. If the patient is sure that he has a disease of a dental type, it is recommended to rinse his mouth with a soda solution. To prepare it, you need to dilute 1 teaspoon of soda in a glass of water.
If inflammatory processes are observed, then warm chamomile compresses should be applied to the affected area. However, before using any prescription of traditional medicine, you must always consult a specialist so as not to cause even more harm.
Clinic treatment
Depending on the specific cause that causes the pain, the doctor can take a number of measures that will help alleviate the condition of the patient. For example, in case of dislocation, it is necessary to apply a special fixing bandage. If there is a suspicion of a bruise, then an X-ray is most often performed. This is necessary in order to exclude the possibility of a fracture.
With osteomyelitis, it is necessary to remove the affected tooth, open the purulent focus and undergo a course of drug therapy. If the problem is diseases of ENT organs, then in this case it is necessary to take a course of antiviral drugs, antiseptic, as well as painkillers.
With inflammatory processes and neuralgia, rubbing is recommended. Also, in addition to drug therapy, compresses can be used. In some situations, removal of the dental nerve and filling of the canals will be required.
Finally
Regardless of the causes of the unpleasant symptoms, do not ignore the pain if they last more than three days. In this case, there is a risk not to diagnose a serious pathology in time and at least lose a tooth that could be cured. Therefore, it is worthwhile to undergo a timely examination by a dentist and other doctors.