Stress Center Peer Support

where u feel your head gets so tight, it hurts like ur ears are plugged up, and u cant pop them.. and ur head feels swollen, and it wants to burst..does anyone feel like that, please say yes!

mine is straight across my forehead like someone's squeezing my head.

Yes; For me they are tension headaches and my jaw area gets really tight -I have TMJ too so it really makes the tension even worse.

angela chriss...Do you have a cold? Or is this just how you feel? I swear that the pressure from my ears being plugged is what is triggering my anxiety. It's like I'm in a fog or something. I don't feel clear...does that make sense? I close my nose with my hand and try and pop the pressure that way. Once I do I feel ok for a while until I have to keep doing it. Again, you're not alone.

I feel like that quite often. My head feels full and full of pressure, my jaw hurts and my ears inside feel tense too. I used to obsess about this feeling all the time. Unfortunately I've gotten smarter and developed other obsessions.

Dee Dee,
I too have headaches, ear pain and grind my teeth from anxiety. I wear a night splint but am now breaking my front teeth on it. I have already broken all my back teeth from grinding on the regualr night guard. I have other anxiety pains but currently and for the past 3 years this has been my number one pain and thought in my life at all times. I live in fear that the pain will progress to a migraine.

Angel Chriss, It sounds to me like your head is full of anxiety.

I have been so anxious since getting the program tht I have trouble rading the workbook materials. I cannot concentrate on anything except the jaw and ear pain. Anyone else doing that?

Hi Florence

You may also have a TMJ issue resulting from the anxiety as I do; Go to your dentist and if he
doesn't deal with TMJD issues you may benefit from
a visit to a Dentist who specializes in TMJ Disorders.
I have improved greatly with their help- I still
get the tension headaches but he helped align my
bite and teeth so I don't grind anymore. I do
however, have joint damage from the grinding which is irreversible but at least it is at a manageable level now.

I feel like this too, and also have TMJ. An ENT can also help you with this, not just a dentist...I go to an ENT. (I know some people sweat at the word dentist). TMJ can give you earaches, and pressure feeling in your ears and head...along with various pains that can go all the way down into your shoulder. I don't tend to grind...but I clench...all the time even w/o knowing it. Stress makes it more prominent...for instance yesterday was a hellish day for me and my jaw hurt like hell last night. I hope you feel better soon.

I kinda feel this way when my blood pressure drops. They tell me to drink lots of fluids. It passes shortly when the pressure comes back up. Don't know if that happens with you or not. Bev

Tammy Whammy and Deb Deb,
Thank you for the information. I got this orthodontic splint this time last year and was getting ready to go to a dentist speicalizing in grinding (I have a 12 mm overbite)when I took this job so far from home. Now I have to wait until the job finishes May2 to go to the dentist and the orthodontist wants me to go to a physical therapist who deals with TMJ and bruxism. I stopped my antidepessant because all the SSRIs cause grinding. I had not thought of an ENT guy. Thank you.