Iggy Azalea talks about her painful health condition

Iggy Azalea, the singer known for pop hits like “Black Widow” and “Fancy,” revealed to her fans on Twitter that she needs to take some time to deal with a medical condition. The issue, called temporomandibular joint dysfunction, or TMJ, is commonly related to stress, as Iggy indicates is so in her situation.

“I don’t think western medicine all the way acknowledges what a huge toll mental stress takes on our bodies. But I do believe it is a factor,” the 24-year-old Tweeted.

SEE ALSO: TMJ? No, you have TMD and here’s what to do

TMJ, according to the American Dental Association (ADA), is not a single diagnosis, but an umbrella term for a handful of disorders related to the temporomandibular joints, ligaments and muscles in the face. These joints, ligaments and muscles are responsible for opening and closing the mouth when an individual chews, speaks, or swallows.”

“Each TMJ has a disc between the ball and socket,”  states the ADA. “The disc cushions the load while enabling the jaw to open widely and rotate or glide. Any problem that prevents this complex system of muscles, ligaments, discs and bones from working properly may result in a painful TMJ disorder.”

In the case of Iggy Azalea, her TMJ disorder is reported to be related to clenching and grinding her teeth, subconscious responses of the body to stress. Many individuals experience this both while awake and while asleep. Grinding of the teeth at night can be particularly difficult to identify and treat, and is a condition known separately as bruxism.

When left untreated, teeth grinding and jaw clenching typically result in TMJ disorders that make opening and closing the jaw incredibly painful. The Mayo Clinic indicates TMJ disorders often present as pain around one or both ears, an ache in the jaw, clicking or grinding when opening the mouth, difficulty chewing, and locking of the joint, among other things.

SEE ALSO: Teeth grinding: What you need to know about bruxism

For Iggy, the best treatment option is stress relief and relaxation of the jaw–something that may be difficult for someone in her line of work. For this reason, she informed fans via social media not to be worried about her if she needs to take some time to heal.

“I don’t think it will ever prevent me from doing anything I want to, but it has made me realize it’s important to look after yourself,” Azalea told Billboard in an interview.

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