The oral
habit of teeth grinding has been known to cause several
discomfort and painful consequences. Amongst the many
complaints of such nature, grinding teeth can cause
severe migraines.
What teeth
grinding involves
The oral
habit or condition of teeth grinding is also called
Bruxism. The typical symptom of this condition entails
clenching the upper and lower teeth in a tight hold and
moving the teeth in a forward and backward motion. Sometimes the
teeth are held in a tight clench without any movement. A
lot of times teeth clenching and (or) teeth grinding
exists unconsciously especially when it occurs during
the sleep times at night. A person suffering from this
condition might not be fully aware of the existence of
the condition at all.
How
grinding teeth causes
migraines
- The act
of teeth grinding involves the facial muscles as well
as the jaw bones and the trigeminal nerves in the
region – and all of these organs involved are put
under tremendous stress and tension due to the
excessive grinding and clenching motions. The
resultant stress to these organs is brought on by the
exertion of direct pressure for long durations. Stress
to the facial organs can cause extreme facial pain and
headaches at the very least.
- Secondly,
most cases of Bruxism have been known to be caused by
stress and anxiety (although stress and anxiety are
not the only known factors to cause teeth grinding).
The causal factors of teeth grinding themselves can
cause headaches and migraines on their own – and often
coexist along with symptoms of Bruxism.
- Other
consequences of Bruxism such as sleeplessness or
insomnia can also trigger migraines as a result of the
body’s reduced levels of fitness and mental stress
associated with teeth grinding.
- Many
times people suffering from teeth grinding habits at
night find themselves waking up from sleep with severe
migraines and facial pain – which is caused by the
teeth grinding motions that the individual carries on
during the sleep times, unconsciously.
Migraines
caused by teeth grinding need to be first related to the
condition of Bruxism and therefore requires that the
teeth grinding condition is treated first. In order to
do so, it is necessary to undergo consultations with a
specialist to verify the root causes of the problem of
teeth grinding. The causes of teeth grinding being of a
multifactorial nature, holistic measures are called for
in order to correctly treat the teeth grinding
habit.
