so, I’ve been trying to find an answer to this question for at least half an hour now, perhaps a little less, and I just don’t care enough to really, really get into it. However, the thought that someone else might know already, and be able to inform me, is enticing. Why, exactly, do your cheeks (or jaw) hurt if you laugh (or broadly smile) while eating? The only thing I can come up with is perhaps your jaw bone gets all tuckered out from that chewing, and is telling you that if it has to laugh one more time it’s going leap out of your head and eat you alive. The probability of this being the correct answer is relatively slim. So, if anyone knows why your cheeks hurt when you laugh and eat at the same time, I’d love to know. =)
I have nothing to add to this thread other than to say that this has never happened to me. In fact, this is the first I’ve ever heard of it. So I, too, am curious as to what might cause this, as well as why it doesn’t happen to me.
I also find that yawning during a meal can do this, and would put forth the following hypothesis: you’re using one set of muscles to chew, and then you start to laugh, which puts a different set of muscles in opposing motion. Some muscles are trying to violently open your mouth (to laugh) and some are trying to do a controlled open-and-close motion. Additionally, you’re trying not to spray food all over the place. I think having so many muscles working against each other probably puts more load on them than they’re used to.
Something to do with the salivary glands?