Unpleasant sensations in the lower part of the face cause a lot of inconvenience and give rise to various bad thoughts. And it is not surprising, because on the chin there are masticatory muscles important for life. A blood supply provides a very large vessel, better known as the carotid artery.
The reasons that the chin hurts a lot. This is due to its anatomical features and functionality.
Nature of pain
Physical suffering in the lower part of the face may vary in time, duration and saturation. Pain can be mild or unbearable - not allowing you to speak, consume food and water. Also, unpleasant sensations can occur periodically or disturb continuously.
How severe the pain, and what its nature, do not indicate the degree of pathology. A serious illness can be indicated even by mild pain when pressed. And unbearable prolonged suffering, affecting, in addition to the chin, also part of the face, can be a harbinger of neurology, easily amenable to therapy.
What affects the appearance of pain
The face is the only part of the body that is always open. The skin in this place is more than elsewhere exposed to bad environmental influences. Therefore, if a pimple on the chin hurts, no one runs immediately to the doctor.
But often unpleasant sensations are associated with the formation of various pathologies. Even common in adolescence, acne can be a consequence of blockage of the sebaceous gland or purulent-necrotic inflammation of the follicle. Boils and carbuncles cause such dangerous bacteria as Staphylococcus aureus. With suspicion of such inflammation, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Rashes and neoplasms of various etiologies
If the chin hurts and the skin on it becomes inflamed, then most likely this is due to infection in the body. The pathological process is usually accompanied by the presence of rashes:
- Pustule is a rash with purulent exudate in the epidermis.
- An abscess is an inflammation of the tissues of the skin, muscles, and even organs with serous depressions.
- Phlegmon - acute purulent inflammation of clusters of loose fibrous connective and adipose tissue.
- Carbuncle is a pathological process around the sebaceous glands and follicle, which has a tendency to dissemination.
In the initial stages of inflammation, the chin hurts only when pressed. Fingers can feel a solid "ball", which later grows rapidly.
Severe pain can occur due to neoplasms, both benign and life-threatening:
- Adamantinoma or ameloblastoma is a benign tumor on the epidermis, in which a structure similar to an enamel organ develops. Initially, the disease is asymptomatic. Subsequently, bloating occurs with further involution of the jaw tissue and facial destruction.
- Osteoid osteoma is a slowly forming pathological formation of bone tissue. The only method of therapy is surgery.
- Osteoblastoclastoma is a mesenchymal tumor originating from bone tissue.
Malignant tumors are life-threatening and require immediate treatment.
Causes of discomfort in the lower face
If the chin is sore or under it, it is necessary to find the source that generates these sensations. You can get rid of it only by eliminating the cause, not the symptoms.
1. Inflammation of the lymph nodes.
This organ is a biological filter and serves as a barrier to various infections. The inflamed knot can be felt independently. The organ increases in size with infectious colds, so not only the chin hurts, but also the throat from the inside, especially when swallowing.
The source of inflammation is easily detected. Usually, a lump of small size hurts under the chin . Inflammation differs from other formations in that it is mobile.
2. Thyroid disease.
The organ is located under the larynx. All painful sensations associated with the pathological processes of the gland are given to the chin:
- Hashimoto's thyroiditis. It is characterized by severe pain and an increase in the chin area.
- Riedel's goiter (fibrotic thyroiditis). Physical suffering is especially severe with head movements and swallowing.
- Thyroid cancer - Oncology, a serious and serious disease that requires special attention.
- Trigeminal neuralgia. With pathology, innervation is disturbed and it hurts under the chin when pressing or without it in the trigeminal region. Treatment is carried out with medicines and physiotherapeutic procedures.
Non-pathological pain
Discomfort is not always associated with a violation of the functionality of organs. Inconvenience can cause the wearing of orthodontic structures (dentures, braces). Deformations deform gums and change bite.
Injuries and bruises are one of the common causes of pain in the lower face. Unpleasant sensations arise after some time, and their intensity depends on the severity of the damage. Serious injuries can result in a jaw fracture. How dangerous is the integrity violation, the doctor determines after examining and analyzing x-rays.
Diagnosis and treatment specifics
One of the symptoms of a serious pathology may be that the chin hurts. Taking antispasmodics and analgesics will eliminate physical suffering, but will not relieve the cause. Therefore, with discomfort in the lower part of the face, it is better to consult a doctor. Based on the results of the examination and diagnosis, a course of therapy will be prescribed. Studies identifying the cause of pain:
- X-ray of the bones of the skull;
- MRI of the brain;
- ENMG - a comprehensive examination determining the state of the nervous system located outside the borders of the brain and dorsal brain;
- Ultrasound of the head and neck;
- blood and urine tests.
The results may refute previously made assumptions and conclusions. Depending on the diagnosis, you will need the help of the following specialists:
- dermatologist;
- neurologist;
- endocrinologist;
- oncologist;
- surgeon.
The specificity of treatment is determined individually. Depends on the severity and form of the pathology. Serious consequences will be avoided by a timely visit to a specialist and the fulfillment of absolutely all appointments.