Trigeminal neuralgia
Trigeminal neuralgia Causes
No specific cause has been found but areas of brain swelling or abnormal blood vessels (arteriovenous malformations) may cause the disorder.
Trigeminal neuralgia Definition
Also known as Tic Douloureux or prosopalgia, Trigeminal neuralgia is a neuropathic disorder of the trigeminal nerve that causes episodes of intense pain in the eyes, lips, nose, scalp, forehead, and jaw. The disease usually develops after the age of 40 but there have been cases where patients are as young as 3 years old.
Trigeminal neuralgia Diagnosis
In ruling out the condition, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and blood tests are performed.
Trigeminal neuralgia Symptoms and Signs
Episodes of pain among people with the disease are sudden or occur paroxysmally. Patients usually describe a pain on the face that even touching it or air currents can trigger pain. According to Dr. Kim Burchiel, a neurological surgeon, people with the condition beg to be killed because of the pain they experience. The disease in fact has the moniker ?the suicide disease.? Pail also usually occurs when brushing teeth, chewing, drinking, eating, and shaving.
Trigeminal neuralgia Treatment
There are several medications that patients may take to reduce the pain and the rate of attacks. Among those are anti-epilepsy drugs such as carbamazepine, gabapentin, and phenytoin, migraine medicines such as sumatripan, and tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyne, nortriptyne, or carbamezepine. In some cases, patients may need surgery.