Mother of four Naomi Smith (47) has been grinding her teeth for decades. This bad habit has caused serious health problems, due to which he cannot eat solid food. , according to the nurse at the hospital, she looked like a terminal cancer patient.
- Teeth grinding has caused huge problems for mum Naomi Smith.
- The bad habit caused pain, migraines, dizziness and indigestion.
- He must be on a liquid diet and takes medication to relieve his symptoms.
- Her partner set up a fundraiser to pay for jaw replacement surgery.
Naomi from the British county of Gloucestershire had problems with teeth grinding since she was a child. She felt her first jaw pain when she was eighteen years old. The specialist prescribed her a protector, but it did not bring relief. Before long, she also began to suffer from severe migraines, facial pain and dizziness, which caused her to vomit up to 30 times a day.
After more than ten years, doctors finally diagnosed her with severe jaw arthritis and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). This disease affects the movement of the jaw joint and can cause headaches, sleepless nights or migraines.
The bad habit caused her immense pain. (illustrative photo)
Source:
iStock
After the diagnosis, Naomi had to switch to a liquid diet. When she started eating this way, within a few weeks she lost three kilograms and developed a severe intestinal blockage. “During one examination, I saw how the nurse at the hospital wrote in the records that I looked like a terminal cancer patient“, the mother revealed.
As her condition continued to deteriorate, doctors referred her to several specialists, including a gastroenterologist. He believed that he was suffering from a functional bowel disorder, while he also suspected fibromyalgia, a chronic disease that causes pain throughout the body and digestive problems. “I still thought they had the answers, but they couldn’t figure out the exact cause” Naomi clarified.
Over the next few years, her facial pain worsened to the point where she could only open her jaw 14 millimeters. Complications caused her to have to leave her job as a childcare worker. Currently, she survives on only six nutritional shakes a day and strong drugs to relieve pain, muscle tension and insomnia. The left side of her face also often droops in the morning, making it difficult for her to speak.
Naomi has been waiting years for an operation where surgeons will remove possible joint damage. But the mother wants to undergo a bilateral jaw replacement at a private clinic instead. Her partner, Darryl, has set up a GoFundMe collection to cover the high costs. “She dedicated her life to helping others, now she needs it herself. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support,” he wrote.
