Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Headaches May be Caused by Grinding Teeth While Sleeping

Waking up to a headache isn't fun for anyone and waking up to one on a regular basis could be a symptom of grinding teeth while sleeping. There are many different types of headaches including tension and sinus headaches that not only cause pain and pressure but can make individuals ill all together. Some people who suffer from headaches may find relief from over the counter pain relievers still others may have to talk to their healthcare provider to determine the cause of the headaches and to begin treatment.

Surprisingly enough some individual's chronic headaches are not caused by sinus or lack of caffeine but because of grinding teeth while sleeping. The reason is that when a person grinds their teeth it can cause pain in the jaws and cause unexplainable headaches until the person is diagnosed with Bruxism. The diagnosis of the Bruxism which is grinding of teeth may come from the physician looking at the individuals teeth and if there is damage to the teeth they may refer them to their family dentist. Another thing that a physician may suggest is for the patient to begin stress relieving therapies to help relieve stress which can limit the teeth grinding and the headaches.

Headaches sometimes just happen through out the day for no apparent reason. There are some people that not only experience grinding teeth while sleeping but they may find they grind their teeth during the day as well. There are however other reasons why people may experience headaches throughout the day including stress and for some it could be an increase or a decrease in caffeine intake. No matter what the cause may be when a person notices that they are having chronic headaches and may be having jaw pain they may choose to make an appointment with a doctor or dentist to find out some answers.

When the diagnosis is that the person is grinding teeth while sleeping some dentist may prescribe teeth guards to help protect the teeth and it may help relieve the headaches as well. This product will not stop the teeth from grinding but I can help limit the tension movements that can cause the jaw pain and headaches.

Finding out as much as possible about Bruxism will give some people an understanding of what happens and why there is pain when they grind their teeth. Stress has been linked to this condition and there may be other reasons why a person experiences grinding teeth while they are sleeping which can lead to the chronic headaches they may experience. When an over the counter pain reliever doesn't help it may be time to contact a physician or dentist to make sure the diagnosis of the headaches is due to teeth grinding.

When all the tests have been completed and the answer comes back that the headaches are due to teeth grinding. The patient will want to ask questions to make sure they are aware of their treatment options and how much damage has been done to their teeth. Also when grinding teeth while sleeping may cause headaches only a dentist or a doctor can diagnose Bruxism.

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