The heart is a vital organ, having the function to pump blood across the body. It works day and night throughout our life and stops only when a person is dead. But due to specific reasons, there are also many disorders associated with the heart.
One of the common heart diseases is a heart attack or myocardial infarction. It involves the blockage of arteries of your heart, leading to the death of heart tissues. The problem can be fatal. There are many symptoms associated with a heart attack. Is toothache and jaw pain one of the symptoms of a heart attack? Let us find the answer to this question in today’s article.
Heart Attack and Jaw Pain
Symptoms of heart attack are not always clear-cut. Not everyone experiences crushing chest pain. You can suffer a heart attack without actually having chest pain. To diagnose a heart attack, doctors consider other symptoms and your medical history as well. Jaw pain could happen often, so it is necessary to check whether it is due to a heart attack or other condition.
How Can You Have Jaw Pain Without Having Chest Pain during Heart Attack?
The most common cause of heart attack, as mentioned earlier, is due to clots in the arteries of your heart. When the heart attack occurs, it begins with pressure, squeezing pain in your chest, and cramping. The pain may also spread through your jaw to the neck, as well as your back and your arm. There is also discomfort associated with a heart attack in your upper body and left side. During a heart attack, the diaphragm and associated nerves may also become irritated and cause pain somewhere referring to the area, including your shoulders and neck. However, this sign of heart attack is more common in females as compared to males.
Some Other Causes of Jaw Pain
Of course, jaw pain can be caused by other problems as well. Most causes of jaw pain are not related to a heart attack. Some of the causes of jaw pain and toothache are mentioned below:
Arthritis
Arthritis of the jaw, including rheumatoid arthritis (inflammation of the jaw probably due to abnormal immune response) and osteoarthritis (wear and tear of the jaw joint), can lead to toothaches and jaw pain. These are not related to heart attack but may be confused due to pain in the area of your jaws.
Dental Problems
Dental problems such as tooth cavity, infected tooth, gum diseases, or tooth grinding (bruxism) can lead to pain in your tooth and jaw. These can confuse with a heart attack. But these are required to be diagnosed and checked by a dentist and not a physician.
Jaw Muscle Strain or Stress
It is primarily caused by overextending your jaw during yawning or due to some dental procedure.
Temporal Arteritis
Also called Giant Cell Arteritis, a severe autoimmune inflammatoryconditionthat can lead to blindness and other severe infections if left untreated. This can induce pain in the jaws and face.
When to Call a Doctor?
If you are experiencing moderate or mild jaw stiffness and tooth pain, make an appointment with your doctor. However, if it is complicated with other heart attack symptoms, take a medical emergency as soon as possible. You may need a medical emergency if you have the following conditions:
- Discomfort in your chest. It may include pain, pressure, and feeling something heavy on your chest.
- Pale, sweaty, or cold skin.
- Problems in your breathing.
- Dizziness.
- Feeling lightheadedness.
- Weakness or more tiredness than usual.
Every second counts during a heart attack. If the problem is not reported at the right time, it can be severe and even fatal. You need to take a medical emergency if you feel a heart attack because the doctor will initiate its treatment as soon as you arrive at the hospital.
Conclusion
Heart problems could not be ignored. We cannot hold them much longer. Therefore, routine checkups and guidelines provided by an expert are needed to avoid these complications. A cardiologist deals with the problems related to the heart. To consult the best cardiologist available in Karachi, visit MARHAM.PK.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1- Is there any association of stomach pain with a heart attack?
Stomach pain, which may include feeling queasy or sick to your stomach, may indicate a heart problem. Therefore these are also not ignored at all.
2- Can a tooth infection increase the risk of a heart attack?
Research reveals that there is a risk factor associated with a tooth infection and heart attack. Poor dental health can increase the chances of a heart attack.
3- Are teeth connected with the heart?
The Upper and lower third molars are believed to be connected with your heart.
4- How complicated is tooth pain?
Tooth problems can be very severe and even fatal. The consequences are tooth loss, sinus involvement, and an infection of the tooth that spreads to the brain can even cause death. However, heart problems are also associated with toothaches.
