Brain & Nervous System Headaches Causes & Risk Factors Can Chewing Gum Cause Headaches in Children? By Colleen Doherty, MD Colleen Doherty, MD Colleen Doherty, MD, is a board-certified internist living with multiple sclerosis. Learn about our editorial process Updated on July 13, 2022 Medically reviewed by Huma Sheikh, MD Medically reviewed by Huma Sheikh, MD Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Huma Sheikh, MD, is a board-certified neurologist, specializing in migraine and stroke, and affiliated with Mount Sinai of New York. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Whether your child chews gum for that yummy sweet flavor or your teenager chews it for stress relief or to mask bad morning breath, you probably did not consider this common habit a potential trigger for your precious one's headaches or migraines. But before your child or adolescent grabs that pack of gum, you may want to suggest a mint or an alternative option for their sweet tooth, especially if they are prone to headaches. Guido Mieth / Getty Images What the Research Says Research suggests that gum-chewing is a potential headache trigger for children and adolescents. The good news is that stopping it may stop the headaches. In one study in Pediatric Neurology, 19 of 30 children (between the ages of 6 and 19) had their headaches—mostly chronic migraines— resolve once they stopped chewing gum, which they had identified as a trigger. An additional seven of the 30 children also had partial improvement of their chronic headaches. Why Does Gum Chewing Cause Headaches? More than likely, gum chewing imposes a burden on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), causing headaches. The TMJ allows your jaw to move properly so you can chew, swallow, and speak. The muscles and joint capsule that surround the TMJ contain nerves that are the likely main source of TMJ-related pain. Other theories of how chewing gum may trigger headaches include: Exposure to the artificial sweetener, aspartame, in chewing-gumEmotional stress Other Habits That May Affect the TMJ Other habits, similar to excessive gum chewing, may provoke TMJ-related symptoms—especially if done for more than three hours daily. These include: Nail-bitingLeaning your chin on your handChewing iceTeeth grindingBiting on a pen or other objectLip biting So if gum chewing is a trigger for your child's headaches, these may be as well. Other Symptoms of TMJ-Related Pain If your child's TMJ is inflamed or the muscles surrounding the TMJ are in spasm from gum chewing, they may also experience these symptoms in addition to a headache: Jaw painLimited range of motion of the jawNeck pain or stiffnessClicking sound heard when moving the joint/jawDifficulty opening your mouth Guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics Just as an aside, if your child does chew gum, please be sure they are of an appropriate age. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that gum not be given to children who are too young to understand that they shouldn't swallow it, or to any child under 4 years old. Repeated swallowing of gum may cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, gas, mouth ulcers, dental and jaw issues, and even abdominal tract blockage. A Word From Verywell Keeping a headache diary for your child may be helpful in understanding whether gum is triggering headaches and why your child chews gum. For instance, is your child chewing gum out of boredom? Or hunger? Or stress? If your child is a teenager, they may be able to keep their own diary. If you suspect chewing gum is playing a role in your child's headaches, you may want to consider encouraging them to discontinue the habit to see if this stops or improves their headaches. Talking with your pediatrician or child's neurologist would also be a good idea if you suspect this trigger. 4 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Watemberg N, Matar M, Har-Gil M, Mahajnah M. The influence of excessive chewing gum use on headache frequency and severity among adolescents. Pediatr Neurol. 2014 Jan;50(1):69-72. doi:10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2013.08.015 Lippi G, Cervellin G, Mattiuzzi C. Gum-Chewing and Headache: An Underestimated Trigger of Headache Pain in Migraineurs? CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2015;14(6):786-90. doi:10.2174/1871527314666150225143105 American Academy of Pediatrics. Choking Prevention. Healthychildren.org. September 30, 2009. Milov DE, Andres JM, Erhart NA, Bailey DJ. Chewing gum bezoars of the gastrointestinal tract. Pediatrics. 1998 Aug;102(2):e22. doi:10.1542/peds.102.2.e22 Additional Reading Gauer RL, Semidey MJ. Diagnosis and Treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders. Am Fam Physician. 2015 Mar 15;91(6):378-86. By Colleen Doherty, MD Colleen Doherty, MD, is a board-certified internist living with multiple sclerosis. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit