One of the most difficult aspects of having temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is that, despite the pain and bothersome symptoms, you still have things to do each day. Many of us have jobs and daily responsibilities, such as caring for children and family members, and dealing with jaw or facial pain doesn’t make the busy days any easier.
If you’re dealing with orofacial pain, you may be surprised to learn that it could be affecting your job and your life, even without you noticing. Pain has a way of affecting every part of your physical and emotional well-being and only gets worse over time. Take a moment to consider whether your TMD could be affecting your job performance or career in one of the following ways.
Sleep Deprivation
When you’re in pain, often the thing you want the most – sleep – is difficult to achieve. Even if you’re able to rest for a few hours, your quality of sleep is likely suffering due to discomfort. With chronic jaw or orofacial pain from TMD, there’s a good chance you’re sleep deprived and exhausted much of the time.
It’s been well established that getting too little sleep or low-quality sleep affects your energy levels and ability to make decisions. If you can’t think clearly or give it your all at work, your job performance is likely much lower than what you’re truly capable of.
Pain and Concentration
Aside from losing sleep, being in pain makes it difficult to focus on anything else. When you’re sitting in a meeting, having a conversation with a co-worker, or trying to concentrate on a challenging assignment, is your mind elsewhere? Pain has a way of grabbing our attention and not letting go, but getting your TMD corrected can put an end to this ever-constant interruption. When you’re no longer worried about jaw or orofacial pain, you can focus your mind and energy on better things, like your career.
Lost Productivity and Sick Days
Let’s face it: the pain of TMJ problems can be severe enough to keep you at home. Every time you need to call in sick, or you simply can’t do the job you need to do that day, you’re losing valuable, productive time. This doesn’t have to be the case when there are effective treatments available for TMD.
Imagine being able to do more with your career and being a better version of yourself. The first step is to get relief from the symptoms of TMD. You don’t have to live with pain that interferes with your daily life. If you get your TMJ pain treated, you may find that you can achieve more than you ever thought possible.
If you’re suffering from TMD, don’t delay – schedule an appointment today to find out about your options for effective relief.
Original Source: https://www.medcentertmj.com/healthy-living/3-ways-tmd-can-affect-your-job/