Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal nerve: The trigeminal nerve is the chief sensory nerve of the face and the motor nerve of the muscles involved in the process of chewing food in preparation for swallowing and digestion (mastication). As the name indicates, the trigeminal nerve is composed of three large branches. They are the ophthalmic (V1, sensory), maxillary (V2, sensory) and mandibular (V3, motor and sensory) branches.
Trigeminal neuralgia: (TN — tic douloureux) is a disorder of the fifth cranial (trigeminal) nerve that causes episodes of intense, stabbing, electric shock-like pain in the areas of the face where the branches of the nerve are distributed - lips, eyes, nose, scalp, forehead, upper jaw, and lower jaw. The disorder most often affects one side of the face, but some patients experience pain at different times on both sides.
Causes: Trigeminal neuralgia is caused by damage to the trigeminal nerve. It is not known what causes the nerve damage. A pain attack may start with any of the following simple tasks;
- brushing the teeth or shaving the face
- putting on makeup, chewing, yawning, or even the sensation a slight breeze
- touching or stroking the face
Signs and Symptoms: Severe, knife-like pain on the lips, eyes, nose, cheek, scalp, forehead, and upper or lower jaw.
Care:
- Medical treatment (e.g. anti-convulsive drugs that slow the function of nerves which cause your pain)
- Medical pain management (drugs which moderate pain or treat related problems such as depression)
- Surgical treatment (of several types)
