What is causing this jaw pain and what can I do about it?

What could be causing my ear and jaw pain?

• Four days ago my jaw suddenly locked up while I was eating. Soon after my jaw swelled up, and the gland on my throat directly under my ear swelled up and became very sensitive to the touch. The next day I took OTC anti-inflammatory medications and iced my jaw because the pain had not subdued and the swelling was even worse. I made an appointment with my doctor and went in to see him day before yesterday. He felt the swelling and looked inside my ear and mouth and said he thought it was some sort of infection, but he wasn't sure where at, and it didn't seem to be an ear infection. I'm 32 weeks pregnant, so there's not much medication he can give me, but he prescribed me Ammoxicillin and said if it was an infection that would clear it up. I've taken four doses of the Ammoxicillin and the swelling is still very present, and the pain is not going away. It gets much worse when I chew, and I try to massage the jaw but that only seems to make the pain worse. I've tried to WebMD this to see if I figure out what else might be causing the pain, but there's way too many things that match my symptoms. Here's a few more key points that might help rule out possible diagnosis: 1.) My wisdom teeth have never came in, and I'm 21 years old. 2.) I was just at the dentist last week, where she did X-rays, and I have an appointment for routine fillings this coming Monday. 3.) She did not mention anything about my wisdom teeth being impacted. 4.) The gland underneath my ear had been slightly swollen for a few weeks prior to this, but I cleaned my ears out with peroxide and cotton balls a few weeks ago and the swelling went away afterward. 5.) My mother and aunt both suffer from TMJ, but to my knowledge I've never had it. 6.) I've tried to plug my nose and "pop" my ears and the ear on my left side will pop, but the ear on my right side, which is the side that is swollen, will not pop. Does anyone know what this might be? And what can I do to make the pain stop? Keep in mind I'm pregnant.

• Answer:

  This is an issue that needs to be resolved. I suggest if you are sure it is glandular seeing a dermatologist. The swelling makes this sounds like a cyst with infection although my first thought is this is a lymph node issue. The presentation does not sound right for TMJ