Trigeminal neuralgia is a serious pain on one side of the face due to compaction, inflammation or damage to the trigeminal nerve. The pain is experienced in brief, continuing episodes, which although short lived are excruciatingly distressing.
The trigeminal nerve carries sense from parts of the face to the brain and controls some of expire muscles that are involved in mastication. Damage or annoyance to this nerve causes the recurrent blasts of sharp, stabbing pain called trigeminal neuralgia. The pain, sensed in the lip, gum or cheek on one side of the face, may follow the course of the nerve or change the skin supplied by the nerve. Strikes of trigeminal neuralgia may last from a couple of seconds to several minutes.
Trigeminal neuralgia is uncommon in individuals under the age of 50, and in young individuals might be an early sign of multiple sclerosis.
What Might Be Done?
The pain seldom has a black source but can be activated by touch, shaving, and washing, eating, drinking, and even speaking.
- Treatment in the main is symptomatic so you might be given analgesics, including paracetamol, to alleviate the pain.
- If the pain continues, your physician may prescribe anticonvulsant drugs, like carbamazapine, which are effective in trigeminal neuralgia.
- Unlike analgesics, which ought to be taken only when the pain is present, both the anticonvulsants and antidepressants must be taken daily to prevent assaults from happening.
Operation
- If, infrequently, a tumour is found, surgery may be needed to remove it.
- operation can also be used to separate the trigeminal nerve from a blood vessel if the vessel is compressing the nerve.
- individuals who’ve long-term severe pain that doesn’t react to drugs may be offered treatment to numb the face. The trigeminal nerve may be cut or booze may be injected into the nerve to deaden it. The pain may also be relieved by using a unique heated probe to destroy the nerve.
If you’ve had treatment to numb the face, trigeminal neuralgia is not going to recur, but you must avoid hot food or beverages that could burn you.
Post-Herpetic Neuralgia
Post-herpetic facial pain may be the most serious side effect of having shingles including the face. The herpes zoster virus may damage the facial nerve and about one third of individuals can be left with acute pain that lasts quite a long time. The old the individual and the more distinct the rash the longer the pain continues. Seldom, steroid hormones may be prescribed because they may assist in preventing the pain becoming long-term.
What is The Outlook?
Strikes of neuralgia may cease spontaneously, become more regular or remain without change for months or years. Nevertheless, symptoms usually improve substantially with treatment.
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