Appointments & care

At Mayo Clinic, we take the time to listen, to find answers and to provide you the best care.

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Trigeminal neuralgia is a chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal nerve, which carries sensation from your face to your brain. If you have trigeminal neuralgia, even mild stimulation of your face — such as from brushing your teeth or putting on makeup — may trigger a jolt of excruciating pain.

You may initially experience short, mild attacks, but trigeminal neuralgia can progress, causing longer, more frequent bouts of searing pain. Trigeminal neuralgia affects women more often than men, and it's more likely to occur in people who are older than 50.

Because of the variety of treatment options available, having trigeminal neuralgia doesn't necessarily mean you're doomed to a life of pain. Doctors usually can effectively manage trigeminal neuralgia with medications, injections or surgery.

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Trigeminal neuralgia symptoms may include one or more of these patterns:

• Occasional twinges of mild pain
• Episodes of severe, shooting or jabbing pain that may feel like an electric shock
• Spontaneous attacks of pain or attacks triggered by things such as touching the face, chewing, speaking and brushing teeth
• Bouts of pain lasting from a few seconds to several seconds
• Episodes of several attacks lasting days, weeks, months or longer — some people have periods when they experience no pain
• Pain in areas supplied by the trigeminal nerve, including the cheek, jaw, teeth, gums, lips, or less often the eye and forehead
• Pain affecting one side of your face at a time
• Pain focused in one spot or spread in a wider pattern
• Attacks becoming more frequent and intense over time

When to see a doctor

If you experience facial pain, particularly prolonged or recurring pain or pain unrelieved by over-the-counter pain relievers, see your doctor.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com

In trigeminal neuralgia, also called tic douloureux, the trigeminal nerve's function is disrupted. Usually, the problem is contact between a normal blood vessel — in this case, an artery or a vein — and the trigeminal nerve, at the base of your brain. This contact puts pressure on the nerve and causes it to malfunction.

Trigeminal neuralgia can occur as a result of aging, or it can be related to multiple sclerosis or a similar disorder that damages the myelin sheath protecting certain nerves. Less commonly, trigeminal neuralgia can be caused by a tumor compressing the trigeminal nerve. Some people may experience trigeminal neuralgia due to a brain lesion or other abnormalities. In other cases, a cause can't be found.

Triggers

A variety of triggers may set off the pain of trigeminal neuralgia, including:

• Shaving
• Stroking your face
• Eating
• Drinking
• Brushing your teeth
• Talking
• Putting on makeup
• Encountering a breeze
• Smiling
• Washing your face

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com

Appointments & care

At Mayo Clinic, we take the time to listen, to find answers and to provide you the best care.

Your doctor will diagnose trigeminal neuralgia mainly based on your description of the pain, including:

• Type. Pain related to trigeminal neuralgia is sudden, shock-like and brief.
• Location. The parts of your face that are affected by pain will tell your doctor if the trigeminal nerve is involved.
• Triggers. Trigeminal neuralgia-related pain usually is brought on by light stimulation of your cheeks, such as from eating, talking or even encountering a cool breeze.

Your doctor may conduct many tests to diagnose trigeminal neuralgia and determine underlying causes for your condition, including:

• A neurological examination. Touching and examining parts of your face can help your doctor determine exactly where the pain is occurring and — if you appear to have trigeminal neuralgia — which branches of the trigeminal nerve may be affected. Your doctor also may conduct reflex tests to determine if your symptoms are caused by a compressed nerve, or if another condition is causing your symptoms.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Your doctor may order an MRI scan of your head to determine if multiple sclerosis or a tumor is causing trigeminal neuralgia. Sometimes your doctor may inject a dye into a blood vessel to view the arteries and veins and highlight blood flow (magnetic resonance angiogram).

Your facial pain may be caused by many different conditions, so an accurate diagnosis is important. Your doctor may order additional tests to rule out other conditions.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com

Few clinical studies have been done on the effectiveness of alternative treatments for trigeminal neuralgia, so there's little evidence to support their use. However, some people have found improvement with these treatments. Always ask your doctor before trying an alternative treatment because it may interact with your other medications.

Complementary and alternative treatments for trigeminal neuralgia include:

• Acupuncture
• Biofeedback
• Vitamin therapy
• Nutritional therapy
• Electrical stimulation of nerves

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com

Living with trigeminal neuralgia can be difficult. The disorder may affect your interaction with friends and family, your productivity at work, and the overall quality of your life.

You may find encouragement and understanding in a support group. Group members often know about the latest treatments and tend to share their own experiences. If you're interested, your doctor may be able to recommend a group in your area.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com