A 42-year-old woman ended up dislocating her jaw while opening her mouth to eat golgappas in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya district on Saturday.
Inkala Devi, a resident of Gauri Kishanpur village in the Dibiyapur area, could not close her mouth after the incident and required urgent medical attention.
She was in Auraiya for work and was staying near the hospital with her family. According to the woman's relatives, she sat down to eat golgappas and opened her mouth to bite into one when her jaw suddenly dislocated.
Her niece-in-law, who was due for child birth, and other family members witnessed the entire incident.
Savitri, a relative, told NDTV, “As soon as Didi opened her mouth to eat the golgappa, it stayed open. We thought it might be normal pain, but when her mouth didn't close, we immediately took her to the hospital.”
She was rushed to the District Joint Hospital, where doctors Manoj Kumar and Shatrughan Singh attempted to fix the jaw but were unsuccessful. Inkala Devi was then referred to Chicholi Medical College for specialised treatment. Hospital officials said she remains in critical condition.
Doctor Shatrughan Singh said she likely dislocated her jaw due to opening her mouth excessively, a condition that can occur unexpectedly while eating.
"The woman was eating a golgappa; as soon as she opened her mouth, half of the golgappa remained inside her mouth, and half of it came outside, and her mouth stayed wide open. At the 50-bed district hospital, the doctors tried very hard to help her relax and sit properly, but it was very difficult. It could not be managed there, so we referred her to the 100-bed district hospital at Chicholi," Doctor Manoj Kumar told NDTV,
He further said that for such people, doctors advise that if someone feels pain in their jaw or cannot fully open their mouth, they should never force it open. It should be done gently.
For example, he said, when eating food or anything else, one should eat calmly. People with jaw issues should consult a dental surgeon or a specialist.
Doctor Manoj Kumar added that this was the first time such a case came to his notice. Such cases were extremely rare and didn't happen often, he said.
Hospital officials said the medical college would provide further care to stabilise her condition and restore normal jaw function.
Jaw dislocation due to sudden or excessive mouth opening is a known cause of open jaw lock, experts say.
What Is Jaw Lock?
Jaw lock is a condition where the jaw gets stuck and cannot open or close normally, as per Dental and TMJ Care.
It is classified into two types:
- Open jaw lock: The mouth remains open and cannot close.
- Close jaw lock: The mouth cannot open or opens only slightly.
Dentists say jaw lock can occur suddenly during daily activities such as yawning, biting into wide foods like burgers or golgappas, or stretching the jaw too far.
According to specialists, factors that can trigger jaw lock include ligament laxity, misaligned jaw joint, displaced discal tissue in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
Symptoms Of A Locked Jaw
- Inability to close/open the mouth
- Occurs commonly during yawning or wide eating
- Pain in front of the ear
- Jaw pain
- Pain while biting
With Inputs From Jahid Akhtar
