Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal Neuralgia causes facial pain. The pain can be anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Pain can come and go and tends to feel like bursts of stabbing, sharp electric shocks. In most cases these types of pain will be restricted to one side of the face. The pain that is felt comes from the trigeminal nerve: the ophthalmic, maxillary and mandibular. The pain is usually felt in the maxillary nerve, this nerve runs along your cheekbone, majority of your nose, upper lip and upper teeth. Secondly affected is your mandibular never that affects the lower cheek, lower lip and jaw.
Trigeminal neuralgia rarely occurs in those younger than 30, however it does affect women more frequently that are 50 years or older.
There is no exact cause to trigeminal neuralgia. Some think that it may be caused from biochemical change in the nerve tissues, or by an abnormal blood vessel compresses the nerve as it exits from the brain, while other believe it is caused by traumatic damage to the nerve, causing the nerve to shed the protective and conductive coating. Many daily activities can trigger attacks. Those activities can include: eating and chewing, washing your face, shaving, talking, brushing teeth and common sensations such as the wind hitting your face.
Trigeminal neuralgia can almost always be controlled with proper diagnosis and medication. Currently hyperbaric oxygen therapy is being looked at to improve the quality of life for those suffering from trigeminal neuralgia by relieving neuropathic pain.
