San Francisco, Marin, and Oakland, CA
Nearly everyone experiences headaches from time to time, but for some people, chronic headaches prevent them from enjoying life and might even interfere with their ability to function. If you suffer from persistent headaches, you’ve probably been told suggestions like: drink enough water, get enough sleep, manage your stress levels, or take your vitamins, all to no avail.
If you’ve tried these conventional suggestions in hopes of managing your pain, yet it’s the same ole’ pain, but a different day, Glen Park Dental wants you to know how our Bay Area dentists can treat mysterious headaches.
We use the word mysterious because that’s exactly what headaches are; many physicians are not able to pinpoint the cause or reduce their frequency, only provide pain management. While we can appreciate their efforts, it’s not doing much good to really treat the source of the problem. That’s where our San Francisco TMJ doctors at Glen Park Dental come to the rescue.
Let’s explore what headaches have to do with your dentist.
All parts of our bodies are designed to work in harmony. For instance, if you have a problem with your back, then it wouldn’t be surprising if you started experiencing knee or leg pain. An imbalance in one area of your body could radiate pain to other nearby areas. What many people don’t know is that consistent, debilitating headaches could stem from jaw joint disorders.
Bruxism and Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorder
If your headaches occur most often when you wake up, it could be a sign that you clench and grind your teeth at night or have Bruxism. Left untreated, this condition can wear down your teeth, causing significant damage, or even lost teeth. The good news is that you can protect your oral health by wearing a custom-made nightguard that absorbs the pressure when you clench and grind your teeth.
If your headaches are accompanied by pain in your jaw joints, or clicking and popping sounds when you open your mouth or chew, then you could have TMJ disorder. The best way to treat TMJ disorder is to wear a custom-made oral appliance from an Oakland TMJ specialist at Glen Park Dental. This appliance slightly repositions the lower jaw to a preferred alignment, relieving tension on the jaw joints. This treatment should relieve chronic headaches associated with TMJ disorder.
Snoring
Most people think that snoring is harmless, but it actually could be a sign of something more serious. That infamous sound is a result of soft tissue vibrating in the throat, which means that the airway is restricted or sometimes blocked entirely. Usually, snoring results in mouth breathers, which leads to sub-optimal oxygenation of the blood system. Coincidentally, this may cause headaches. Our neuromuscular dentist in Oakland can fit you with a specially made oral appliance that promotes proper airflow and curbs your snoring. This, in turn, could diminish chronic headaches.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
A common sleep-breathing disorder, sleep apnea is when the airway is blocked, causing complete pauses in breathing. This results in gasping for air as the brain is aroused out of the deepest stage of the sleep cycle. Most people with sleep apnea aren’t aware of these awakenings, although they are left feeling tired all the time and battling chronic headaches.
One of the most common symptoms associated with sleep apnea is snoring, although a person could suffer from a sleep-breathing disorder and not snore. Other symptoms include daytime fatigue, chronic headaches, mood swings, and impotence, or low libido. It’s essential to get screened for sleep apnea if you believe that you may have it. Ignoring it will not make the problem go away. In fact, untreated sleep apnea has been linked to cognitive decline, cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, certain types of cancers, and even death. A sleep apnea screening is available at our San Francisco dental office. Our specially designed oral appliances can help you breathe better, get the rest that you need, and relieve your chronic headaches.
With advancements in healthcare and dentistry, there is no reason why you should suffer in silence or mask your painful headaches. Find headache relief in the Bay Area by calling Glen Park Dental at (415) 585-1500. If you are in search of a cure for your mysterious headaches, schedule a consultation today.
