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Our readers are invited to email us with their questions!
Q: How are OSA and TMJ connected? (Aerica K.)
A: Aerica, with OSA, your muscles relax, which causes your tongue to fall back and your airway/throat to close. One of the ways we open the airway while we sleep is by clenching our teeth. This increases our muscle tone and opens the airway. Unfortunately, this clenching all night long can tire the muscles of your face causing headaches, pain and even locking of your jaw in some cases, commonly known as TMJ pain.
So, in many cases, by fixing your OSA, you will no longer clench, and your TMJ issues will be fixed as well.
*WARNING: some dental mouth pieces for OSA treatment can make TMJ worse.*
If you are getting treatment from a dentist and you have TMJ, make sure they are well trained in TMJ and Sleep Apnea treatment, aka OSA.
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Q: Can OSA be causing my headaches? (Ramshin B.)
A: Ramshin, absolutely. With OSA, you are not getting enough oxygen to the brain and elsewhere in the body. Lack of oxygen will cause a headache. These headaches can become quite severe. They can also be further exasperated by severe clenching that OSA commonly causes. Get rid of your snoring and OSA and you might just be getting rid of your headaches as well.
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