What are the symptoms? Expand Symptoms of oromandibular dystonia include: muscle spasms in the jaw causing the mouth to open or close muscle spasms that pull the mouth or tongue into different positions difficulty opening or closing the mouth difficulty chewing or swallowing tremor pain Stress and anxiety are known to exacerbate the symptoms.
What are the causes? Expand Dystonia is caused by incorrect signals from the brain to the affected body part but the causes for this are not yet fully understood. Oromandibular dystonia, however, is sometimes caused by previous treatment for conditions including nausea, vertigo, anxiety, schizophrenia, and depression with medicines that work by blocking the chemical dopamine in the brain. Typically, this results in being affected in more than one place in the body. Another name for dystonia caused in this way is tardive dystonia.
How will it affect my life? Expand You may need to find ways to adapt and might have to learn new ways to complete everyday tasks. However, it is possible to live well with the condition and Dystonia UK is here to support you through all stages including initial onset, diagnosis, finding treatment and beyond. You may find these coping techniques helpful: Sensory tricks, such as chewing gum.