Trigeminal Neuralgia

Trigeminal Neuralgia is characterized as a chronic pain condition affecting the trigeminal nerve (the nerve that links sensation of the face to the brain). Stimulation of the face’s surface, like brushing your teeth or applying make-up, can trigger severe sensations of pain. Trigeminal neuralgia is caused when the path of the trigeminal nerve is disrupted, commonly by a blood vessel or the myelin sheath, which covers the nerve, might be damaged.  People over the age of 50 are most likely to be affected by Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Symptoms:

• Occasional mild pain of the face
• Shooting or jabbing pain of the face
• Spontaneous pain attacks triggered by touching the face, chewing, speaking, shaving, smiling or brushing teeth
• Frequent episodes of pain attacks lasting days, weeks, months or longer; however, this can be coupled with long periods of the pain being absent
• Pain in the cheeks, jaw, teeth, gums, lips, or less often the eye and forehead
• Pain often affects only one side of the face at a time
• Pain can be pin-pointed to a precise spot of the face or to a wider surface-area
• Attacks become more frequent and severe over time

Treatments:

• Medications that decrease or block the signal to your brain, like anticonvulsants or antispasmodic agents
• Chemical or electric (radiofrequency) injections in the area of pain
• Surgery to release the compression of the trigeminal nerve