Women at Higher Risk for Headaches and TMJ Problems

February 7, 20111 Comment

Women are at high risk for temporomandibular joint disorder

Are you a woman taking oral contraceptives (birth control) or post-menopausal estrogen hormone replacement?

If you answered yes to the above questions, you could be suffering from a temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD).  According to the National Pain Foundation, 75% of Americans suffer from TMD symptoms at different points in their lives. Tooth grinding or jaw clenching at night caused by stress or other factors, neck and shoulder problems, trauma such as a car accident or sports injury, and even malocclusion (misalignment) of the teeth can cause or contribute to inflammation in the temporomandibular joint, resulting in TMD.

If you’re a woman, you could be at an even greater risk.

Although 75% of the American population experiences Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD) symptoms, between 5-12% of the American population actually suffer from what health care practitioners consider TMD (Lipton et al., 1993; Dworkin et al., 1990; Svensson et al, 2001; Duckro et al., 1990). The research is showing that the majority of patients treated for TMD are women.  In fact, women account for 80% of those presenting to their health care practitioners with temporomandibular joint complaints between the ages of 20-40. Pain onset tends to occur after puberty, and based on the gender and age distribution of TMD, scientists think a possible link between the disease and estrogen level may exist (Landi et al, 2004; Warren & Fried, 2001; Dworkin et al, 1990.)

The TMD pattern suggests that endogenous reproductive hormones (hormones found within a woman’s body) pay play a role in TMD. Onset of pain often occurs after puberty, TMD occurs more often in women than men, and the prevalence is lower for women in post menopause. Landi (2004) and his team found higher levels of a substance called 17-beta-estradiol, in patients with TMD compared to healthy controls.  Estradiol is the predominant sex hormone present in women and is also produced in males as a product of testosterone.

Exogenous reproductive hormones (hormones taken into the body) such as birth control pills or estrogen administered post-menopausally have been shown to significantly increase the odds of TMD by 30% and 20% respectively (LeResche et al., 1997).  Abubaker (1993) and colleagues found that women suffering from TMD reported higher use of exogenous hormones than controls.

Because women suffer from Temporomandibular joint disorder in inordinately larger numbers than men, scientists are concluding that the sex hormone estrogen may play a role (Wang et al., 2008).

For more information on Treatment Options for TMJ Disorder and Headaches contact Dr. Bill Costaras at the Illinois Institute of Dental Sleep Medicine at 309-243-8980 or email us at info@peoriatmj.com. The Illinois Institute of Dental Sleep Medicine provides services to the Peoria Illinois, East Peoria Illinois, Morton Illinois, Bloomington Illinois, Galesburg Illinois, and surrounding Illinois areas.