Did You Know Your Toothache Could Indicate Heart Problems?
It may sound strange, but it's now known: the source of toothache isn't necessarily the teeth. Often, the pain may signal heart issues, in some cases even a looming heart attack or stroke. So what should you do? Don't ignore the pain—get checked.
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For a long time, medicine has understood that our bodies work in harmony and all organs are interconnected, but you might be skeptical about just how much until you read this shocking insight.
Let's start with a case reported on the YNET website: A man in his 50s visited the dentist, suffering from prolonged pain in his lower jaw. The pain was unbearable, rated by him as 7-9 out of 10. He experienced significant suffering, with spontaneous pain occurrences, but noticed that its intensity increased with effort or stress, and sometimes the pain radiated to his neck or shoulder.
Desperate, he decided to consult different dentists to trace the source of the problem. Yet, none could find any dental issues. X-rays only reinforced that his dental condition was normal. He was prescribed painkillers, but they eventually lost their effectiveness. Even local anesthesia injections couldn't ease the pain, leaving the man in great discomfort.
At some point, it was suspected that the pain originated elsewhere in the body and only radiated to the jaw area. He was sent for general tests, and through his toothache, he was diagnosed with heart disease.
Once it was treated, the toothache subsided.
Similar cases raised suspicions that this was a nearing heart attack or even a stroke, which proved to be completely true in some cases.
Does that sound far-fetched to you? It turns out our dental health is intimately linked to our overall health, and this has already been scientifically proven.
Therefore, it's important to know that cardiac pain (i.e., pain originating around the heart) can radiate to different parts of the body, including the shoulder, back, upper abdomen, right arm, upper abdomen, chin, lower jaw, and also the neck and ear.
Early identification of such issues can literally save lives, and dentists should be aware of such complaints and investigate their origins. Thus, it's crucial that you also take responsibility: Is something hurting? Don't wait! Pain is the body's way of signaling that something is wrong. It's important to listen to it before it's too late.
