Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal Neuralgia, otherwise known as Tic Douloureux, is a chronic condition that affects the trigeminal nerve. This nerve is responsible for carrying sensation from your face to your brain. With this condition, even mild stimulation of the face may trigger excruciating pain. This makes simple tasks such as brushing your teeth or applying makeup difficult, if not impossible.
Symptoms
The degree of pain and frequency of symptoms vary between patients, with some being very mildly affected, while others are very disabled.
Symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia include:
Severe shooting or jabbing pain
Random and severe attacks of pain triggered by touching of the face, chewing, speaking, brushing teeth, or wind blowing on your face.
Pain lasting anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes
Episodes of several attacks lasting days, weeks, or months, which may be followed by periods of no pain
Constant aching or burning that occurs before a pain attack
Pain in areas that are touched by the trigeminal nerve, including the cheek, jaw, teeth, gums, or lips
Pain in a specific pattern, on one side of the face only
Itching, tingling, or pins and needles feeling
Very sensitive skin accompanied by extreme sensitivity to heat or cold
Feels like “firecrackers exploding in my face”
Causes
In the case of trigeminal neuralgia, the nerve may be compressed by a blood vessel at the point where it leaves the brain stem. Tumors can also compress a nerve. Other causes include diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
Dr. Peter Carney has been successful in treating patients with this often debilitating condition. Call today at 574-389-7737 or contact us online to find out more about effective and long-lasting treatments.