Trigeminal Neuralgia: Should You Be Worrying About It?

Trigeminal Neuralgia can be unlike any facial pain you ever had. Imagine your entire side twitching and stabbing from some electric jolt out of nowhere, you might be suffering from trigeminal neuralgia. But what exactly are the symptoms? Is this curable? Today we shall discuss this in the article.

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What Is Trigeminal Neuralgia?

Trigeminal Neuralgia is associated with pain at the side of your face that is caused due to some underlying problems in the trigeminal nerve.

The trigeminal nerve originates at the top of your ear and then divides into three places, the eye(ophthalmic), the cheek(maxillary) and the jaw(mandibular).

Trigeminal neuralgia can be extremely painful for some people compared to a heart attack.

Common causes for trigeminal neuralgia can include-

1. Facial trauma or previous dental surgery record
2. Vascular compression
3. Multiple sclerosis
4. Wearing away of the myelin

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Trigeminal Neuralgia Diagnosis

Trigeminal Neuralgia Diagnosis (Image via Pexels/cottonbro studio)

Physical examinations generally are a common way to denote the occurrence of trigeminal neuralgia. You might be asked about the frequency and amount of pain generally experienced.

Trigeminal neuralgia triggers such as a tumor multiple sclerosis or vessel abnormality can be caught under high-resolution MRI and CAT scans by good medical professionals.

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What Symptoms You Can Expect From Trigeminal Neuralgia?

Trigeminal neuralgia can include some symptoms like-

1. Severe stabbing pain

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Trigeminal neuralgia can cause very sharp pain at the side of the face radiating to all facial muscles.

The pain is described as similar to that of an electric shock. This can last from few seconds to several minutes.

2. Untimely convulsive returns

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There is no proper time to predict trigeminal neuralgia incoming. Similarly, there is a proper way to predict how many convulsions can occur within a stipulated time.

3. Severe anxiety

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Even more worrisome is the anxiety that is triggered by the fear of these untimely convulsions. One can get very anxious which can lead to bad mental health.

4. Problems with daily work

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Trigeminal neuralgia can cause distress in regular life. it can affect your eating, drinking or sleeping habits. Apart from that, untimely occurrences can disturb your public work too.

Note: Trigeminal neuralgia reportedly occurs more in women than men. Older people are more prone to this condition. It occurs more on the right side of the face than on the left.

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Can Trigeminal Neuralgia Be Treated?

Some common forms of treatment included for trigeminal neuralgia are-

1. Trigeminal nerve blocks

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Trigeminal neuralgia nerve block injections help relieve the pain for temporary periods.

2. Trigeminal medication

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Trigeminal medications are often recommended items that include common seizure-controlling drugs such as carbamazepine or gabapentin.

The doses should be taken according to the frequency of pain and under medical supervision.

This is a temporary treatment.

3. Rhizotomy

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Surgical procedures including rhizotomies can be a solution to trigeminal neuralgia. It is often considered one of the best treatments with a wonderful success rate.

Trigeminal rhizotomy includes numbing the trigeminal nerve. But this lasts to 3 or 4 years until it grows back. So, it’s a temporary treatment.

4. Acupuncture

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Some people claim that acupuncture needle treatment has helped cure trigeminal neuralgia but it is always advised to consult a medical professional.

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Trigeminal neuralgia can be quite painful for it has a high chance of returning even after good treatments. It is always better to consult medical professionals and look out for better help.