11 bad health habits that doctors need you to stop doing asap

You might think gum gives you fresh breath, or maybe it helps alleviate tension, like squeezing an oral stress ball. But if you chew gum all the time, it could be putting too much pressure on your jaw. “The temporomandibular joint – at the top of the jaw – is a synovial joint just as seen in the knees,” says Professor Jeannette South-Paul, MD, medical director of the community health services division of UPMC. “If you use those joints too much, you can develop arthritis, clicking and pain.” Plus, swallowing too much air can lead to stomach upset, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).