Toothache while lying down

Introduction

If you suddenly suffer from toothache, it is hard to imagine life without it. Everyday life offers possibilities of distraction, but everyone comes to rest at times. If one lies down, many people feel the pain as stronger and more intensive. Is this just a false perception or does the pain really increase when lying down?

The pain while lying down

When you think about toothache while lying down, you usually ask yourself why it should get worse? But if you ask around and interview patients, many complain that the pain feels worse when lying down. In fact, you are usually in a warmer environment, especially during bed rest.

Warmth has a positive effect on the spread of bacteria. This is also the reason why it is recommended to cool down with a cool pack in case of toothache, so that the inflammation is contained. Also thus swellings are worked against.

Another factor that makes the pain appear stronger when lying down is that you relax while lying down and factors such as stress, which suppress the pain, are eliminated. The pain now becomes more conscious. The main cause of the increased toothache sensation is that the body is usually in a horizontal position for a long time when lying down.

While standing upright, most of the blood is in the lower part of the body due to gravity, i.e. in the legs and thighs. However, as soon as you change to the horizontal position, the blood is also distributed more in the upper parts of the body – the head is supplied with more blood. The stronger blood circulation promotes the inflammatory process.

Inflammation mediators are released in greater numbers and with greater intensity, which leads to a greater perception of pain. This is also evident during the day when the body is under heavy physical strain, which also leads to increased blood circulation. As a result, it is better to position your head slightly elevated. If you cool the painful area additionally, the toothache becomes more bearable when lying down.