What is trigeminal neuralgia?
Trigeminal neuralgia is a chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal nerve.
What is trigeminal nerve?
The function of the trigeminal nerve is to send sensory impulses from the face to the brain. The trigeminal nerve is a mixed type of nerve that includes both sensory and motor neurons - respectively, carries sensory and motor function.
If you have trigeminal neuralgia, even mild stimulation of your face — such as from brushing your teeth or putting on makeup — may trigger a jolt of excruciating pain.
You may initially experience short, mild attacks. But trigeminal neuralgia can progress and cause longer, more-frequent bouts of searing pain.
Trigeminal neuralgia affects women more often than men, and it's more likely to occur in people who are older than 50.
Doctors usually can effectively manage trigeminal neuralgia with medications, injections or surgery.
Symptoms
Trigeminal neuralgia symptoms may include one or more of these patterns:
- Episodes of severe, shooting or jabbing pain
- Spontaneous attacks of pain or attacks triggered by things such as touching the face, chewing, speaking or brushing teeth
- Bouts of pain lasting from a few seconds to several minutes
- Episodes of several attacks lasting days, weeks, months or longer
- Pain in areas supplied by the trigeminal nerve
- Pain affecting one side of the face at a time, though may rarely affect both sides of the face
- Attacks that become more frequent and intense over time
Causes
In trigeminal neuralgia trigeminal nerve's function is disrupted.
Usually, the problem is contact between a normal blood vessel and the trigeminal nerve at the base of your brain. This contact puts pressure on the nerve and causes it to malfunction.
Trigeminal neuralgia can occur as a result of aging, or it can be related to multiple sclerosis.
Trigeminal neuralgia can also be caused by a tumor compressing the trigeminal nerve.
Some people may experience trigeminal neuralgia due to a brain lesion or other abnormalities.
In other cases, surgical injuries, stroke or facial trauma may be responsible for trigeminal neuralgia.
A variety of triggers may set off the pain of trigeminal neuralgia, including:
- Shaving
- Touching your face
- Eating
- Drinking
- Brushing your teeth
- Talking
- Putting on makeup
- Encountering a breeze
- Smiling
- Washing your face
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/trigeminal-neuralgia/symptoms-causes/syc-20353344
