What Are The Symptoms Of An Inflamed Masseter Muscle?

Do you know about masseter muscle? It is the muscle that ensures efficient chewing and is present in the back of your jaw. Any inflammation in your masseter muscle can lead to severe discomfort and pain, causing problems while you eat and speak. People don’t understand, but it directly links to your overall health. When you fail to chew correctly, it can even affect your digestion.  Understanding and knowing the symptoms can help you visit a dentist quickly for TMD and TMJ treatment. Check out people’s common symptoms while suffering from an inflamed masseter muscle in this blog. 

Pain Or Tenderness In The Jaw Area 

You will face a significant amount of pain while you suffer from an inflamed masseter muscle situation. Primarily, the pain is generated from the jaw, and you can even feel tenderness. Try to locate the pain and check if it is restricted only to your jaw area. It tends to worsen with chewing, speaking, and even drinking. Touch your jaw and look for any soreness. Another way to check is by being attentive to the pain while yawning. Do not wait to visit a dentist quickly for TMD and TMJ treatment in Cambridge. 

Jaw Stiffness Or Tightness 

The movement of your jaw should be smooth at all times, and you should be able to open your jaw widely. When you fail to do so, it can be another symptom of an Inflamed Masseter Muscle situation. Inflammation generally obstructs the normal movement of your jaw. This situation causes severe discomfort while eating, speaking, and even breathing. Extreme tightness can damage your neighboring tissues, leading to further health complications. TMD and TMJ treatment is the ultimate solution to deal with such problems. 

Headaches Or Migraines 

There can be several reasons leading to headaches and migraine. Pain or discomfort in your jaw region, along with headaches and migraines, is a significant sign of inflamed masseter muscle. Do you know why this happens? This mainly occurs as the muscle is connected to the temporomandibular joint(TMJ). Excessive tension can also travel to other body parts like your head and shoulder, which results in severe migraines. Never take a casual approach, and seek professional assistance immediately. 

Difficulty Chewing or Eating    

Either you feel too tired to chew, or it pains while you chew, which can be a leading symptom for inflamed masseter muscle. You can also feel stiffness while you try to chew correctly. Lack of chewing can affect your digestion, leading to other health complications. Do you know that chewing requires a significant amount of jaw movement? Check out if tough foods are increasing your pain or discomfort.  

Teeth Grinding or Clenching (Bruxism)

Teeth grinding, or bruxism is another symptom that can accompany an inflamed masseter muscle. Many people grind or clench their teeth at night, often without realizing it. This repetitive motion constantly strains the masseter muscle, causing it to become inflamed and sore. The muscle can also become hypertrophied, which may enlarge due to prolonged tension.

Spot Symptoms Easily 

While you suffer from masseter muscle inflammation, it can be excruciating and discomforting. It will affect your professional and personal life significantly. Attention to the above symptoms can help you quickly detect the problem. A dentist can help diagnose the issue and offer TMD and TMJ treatments to relieve the pain and restore normal function.