Introduction
Toothache does not only occur during the day or during physical exertion. Many of the affected patients report above all the night-time occurrence of toothache. In addition, many observe an aggravation of the pain symptoms at night.
Toothache at night
During the day you hardly notice it, but as soon as you come to rest at night and want to fall asleep, the toothache becomes unbearable. In the evening, the body goes down, pulse and blood pressure drop. Hormone production is also different from during the day.
One reason for the intensification of toothache at night is the fact that inflammatory processes are to a certain extent temperature-dependent. While cooling affected body regions can often help to contain the inflammation, heat has a stimulating effect. At night, the resting of the head on a pillow can lead to overheating of the oral cavity.
The rising temperature in turn promotes blood circulation in the area of the teeth and consequently stimulates the release of inflammatory mediators. The warmer the temperatures outside, the faster the body tends to increase inflammation. This is why unexpected toothache is not uncommon, especially in midsummer.
Cortisol levels are particularly low in the evening, as it is only formed in the second half of the night and reaches its highest value in the morning after getting up. Cortisol is the hormone for pain inhibition, which makes us appear particularly insensitive to pain in the morning. This effect decreases towards the evening, as new cortisol is only formed and we feel pain more strongly.
An intensification of the toothache is the result. Furthermore, a psychological component plays a further decisive role in the type and extent of any pain perception. During the day, the affected patients are often distracted and therefore take the toothache in a less severe form.
This is another reason why toothache is perceived as particularly strong and unpleasant at night. Patients who suffer from severe toothache, especially at night, can be temporarily relieved by a cooling pillow. In addition, the head should be placed high at night when the toothache is present.
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