# stabbing cheek pain and beer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 23, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698 "2010-11-23T20:59:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Walmarticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Walmarticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walmarticus)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698/1 "2010-11-23T20:59:53Z")
Many times, after I’ve drank a beer, I’ll experience these stabbing pains on both insides of my cheeks. It’s right near the corners of my jaw, a couple inches under the ear. I drink a little bit of water, maybe slosh it around, and it stops. It’s some friggin annoying shit. It only happens after drinking **one** beer. WTF causes this phenomenon? ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698/2 "2010-11-24T00:23:22Z")
To clarify the problem, can you drink more than one beer and the problem stops? Or do you always stop after 1 beer. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698/3 "2010-11-24T00:27:25Z")
How cold is the beer and the water? WAG-bad teeth inflamed and the cold is hitting sensitive spots. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698/4 "2010-11-24T00:39:33Z")
If it doesn’t feel like dental pain, I would guess a spasm in the salivary gland. ---
**Author:** ![poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@poker\_in\_the\_rear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/poker_in_the_rear)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698/5 "2010-11-24T00:54:23Z")
I would love to know the answer to this as well. The same thing happens to me. It only seems to happen with beer in a bottle and only once in a while. Shooting pains right up both sides of my jawbone up to my ears. Never heard of anybody else having this happen to them. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698/6 "2010-11-24T01:24:36Z")
osmotic pressure can suck water out of cells and teeth, this can cause a sensation if near a nerve. ---
**Author:** ![heavyarms553](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/779978/32.png) [@heavyarms553](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heavyarms553)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698/7 "2010-11-24T01:30:57Z")
Periodontal disease \> teeth sensitive to temperature changes. Temporal-mandibular joint disorder Bilateral parotid gland tumors impinging on facial nerve causing muscular spasms during periods of increased salivation. I know how many things are wrong with this. Parotid gland occlusion from mucus plugs. Knives in your beer. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698/8 "2010-11-24T01:31:07Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > If it doesn’t feel like dental pain, I would guess a spasm in the salivary gland. That was my guess also. Try eating something very sour (like a bit of lemon) and see if you have the same sensation. ---
**Author:** ![Walmarticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Walmarticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walmarticus)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698/9 "2010-11-24T01:37:31Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > If it doesn’t feel like dental pain, I would guess a spasm in the salivary gland. Looking at [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salivary_glands) diagram, it seems to be coming from from around the parotid gland. Why should beer cause my gland to spasm? > [@rachelellogram](#): > > To clarify the problem, can you drink more than one beer and the problem stops? Or do you always stop after 1 beer. Never happens with multiple beers. But then again, if I’m drinking multiple beers, then it’s usually some light crap beer. Could make a difference. > [@poker\_in\_the\_rear](#): > > I would love to know the answer to this as well. The same thing happens to me. It only seems to happen with beer in a bottle and only once in a while. Shooting pains right up both sides of my jawbone up to my ears. Never heard of anybody else having this happen to them. Happy to have company. Wanna start a support group? ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698/10 "2010-11-24T01:55:17Z")
Sounds like salivary gland spasm to me too. [Old thread about it](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=235370). ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698/11 "2010-11-24T02:35:18Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > That was my guess also. Try eating something very sour (like a bit of lemon) and see if you have the same sensation. But beer isn’t normally sour. ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698/12 "2010-11-24T10:17:16Z")
You’re not alone; this happens to me with both wine and beer, but never other alcohol. Only occasionally, but often enough to be annoying. I have noticed that it happens more when I’m dehydrated; drinking a lot of water seems to help. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2010, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698/13 "2010-11-24T11:52:04Z")
> [@heavyarms553](#): > > - ----- snip nasty sounding stuff ------\* > > Knives in your beer. That one gets my vote! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![oliversarmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/eb8c5e/32.png) [@oliversarmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oliversarmy)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2010, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698/14 "2010-11-25T06:06:14Z")
This happens to me, too. I always thought it had to do with what I was eating, and maybe it does, but the only constant seems to be drinking beer. Anecdotal, of course, but I am happy it’s not just me. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698/15 "2010-11-27T05:17:20Z")
I’m curious…does it happen with orange juice? I get something similar, usually with virtually only OJ, and it can happen before taking the first sip! Must be that salivary spasm someone mentioned above. I’ve always wondered about this. ---
**Author:** ![jormundgondir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@jormundgondir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jormundgondir)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698/16 "2010-11-27T19:50:36Z")
I think it’s important to know what kind of beer you all are drinking! ---
**Author:** ![triordan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/90db22/32.png) [@triordan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/triordan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2014, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698/17 "2014-01-09T04:02:36Z")
I can’t believe with all the internet’s wisdom this hasn’t been obviously solved. I too get the same sensation. Right now with a Blue Moon seasonal. When does the support group meet? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2014, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stabbing-cheek-pain-and-beer/561698/18 "2014-01-09T07:52:46Z")
I tend to get this with certain types of beer, like Tecate in a can or cheaper canned beers. I thought tannins were the culprit.