Temple swelling when chewing

Guest over a year ago

Hi there,

I started to notice this when I quit smoking and started chewing gum all the time. When I start chewing, my temples on both sides of my face swells, and the muscle is so exhausted that I have to stop chewing altogether. This is really embarrasing when I'm eating out of the house, because it's really noticeable so I have to wear my hair down to cover my temples or I won't eat when I'm out. In the last few days, my jaw feels really weird, like that horrible feeling of weakness or numbness in an arm or a leg after pins and needles, and my jaw feels weird, like the nerves are overwrought. I don't want to eat, because every time I do, my temples start to swell and it feels like the muscles on my temple are going to explode. What I'm concerned about is that it's the beginnings of an auto-immune disorder or something. I've been having pains in my ankles, knees and joints, and I'm worried that this may be the beginning of something more serious. Can anyone help? Has anyone had this before? Is it going to eventually go away? Thanks.

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Nikols169605 over a year ago

This type of swelling that happens mostly after chewing or eating in most cases is connected with your salivary glands - those are the glands that secrete saliva when you are eating and when their secretory ducts get obstructed it could lead to infection. And from what you describe it seems like there might be infection already that has developed, because of the other symptoms you are having, related to other body parts. I would suggest you to see your family doctor or dentist, if it proves necessary because this probably will not go on its own before you get the treatment for infection and unblock salivary glands.

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Guest over a year ago

Thank you for your advice nikols. Is it very serious, an infection of the salivary glands? I wonder what could have caused this. I'll make an appointment with my doc.

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Nikols169605 over a year ago

The infection is completely treatable with antibiotics, usually the mouth infections are, but as to what might have caused it, well, no matter how much oral hygiene, bacteria are present in our mouth all the time. It just takes that your immune system goes down a bit, like when you have cold, so that those bacteria start to over grow. Usually the source is some root canal infection, but your doctor will know the best - he will be able too look and see what exactly is going on. Wish you the best and keep me posted on how it went at doc's!

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Sumtingwong over a year ago

Have your thyroid hormone levels checked. Those are symptoms of underactive thyroid.

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farooq ali over a year ago

I started to notice this when I quit smoking and started chewing gum all the time. When I start chewing, my temples on both sides of my face swells, and the muscle is so exhausted that I have to stop chewing altogether. This is really embarrasing when I'm eating out of the house, because it's really noticeable so I have to wear my hair down to cover my temples or I won't eat when I'm out. In the last few days, my jaw feels really weird, like that horrible feeling of weakness or numbness in an arm or a leg after pins and needles, and my jaw feels weird, like the nerves are overwrought. I don't want to eat, because every time I do, my temples start to swell and it feels like the muscles on my temple are going to explode. What I'm concerned about is that it's the beginnings of an auto-immune disorder or something. I've been having pains in my ankles, knees and joints, and I'm worried that this may be the beginning of something more serious. Can anyone help? Has anyone had this before? Is it going to eventually go away?

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Guest over a year ago

When I chew gum for an extended amount of time I've noticed that my masseter muscles would swell resulting in a fuller face in appearance. I need dental work done to remove my wisdom teeth which may be impacted. I am not a medical professional but I think that you may be chewing very extraneously or clenching your jaw and or the chewing my aggravate your tmj.

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Guest over a year ago

Seems like i am have been experiencing the exact same symptoms more or less. I would like to know if you have been diagnosed with something or if the symptoms have subsided or anything of that sorts?

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Guest over a year ago

I have the same symptoms and I do have underactive thyroid. I only notice it when I chew gum and my temple then swells.

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Guest over a year ago

Did you ever figure out what the temple swelling exploding feeling was? I'm having the exact same thing and can't figure out the cause.

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Guest over a year ago

Honestly, it just seems your chewing muscles are just getting a good pump, by pump I mean how bodybuilders get swollen muscles after a heavy workout. I don't think it's a concern by itself and will usually resolve after resting from chewing for a while. It's more noticeable around the temples because the musculature of the temporalis and massater is more pronounced there.

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