Have you ever experienced a sudden excruciating pain on one side of your face? Your pain may be from a condition known as trigeminal neuralgia. The pain from trigeminal neuralgia can be so debilitating that it can affect your chewing, speaking, or smiling. Learn more about what you can do about your trigeminal neuralgia pain and whether your face pain is a sign of something more serious.
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN), also called tic douloureux, is a painful syndrome caused by hypersensitivity of your trigeminal nerve, also known as your fifth cranial nerve. The trigeminal nerve has 3 main branches that provide sensation to your face from the forehead, cheek, and jaw. It also provides sensation to your teeth which accounts for trigeminal neuralgia pain being mistaken for a dental problem. The trigeminal nerve also innervates your muscles used for chewing.
The pain from trigeminal neuralgia can be recurrent or chronic. Pain is usually described as a back to back brief electrical shock, stabbing pain to one side of the face that lasts seconds each time. The pain can cause you to wince or grimace or turn your head away from the pain. About 60% of people have pain from their mouth to jaw, 30% pain around their cheek and less than 5% pain around the eye.
Triggers for Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Chewing, talking or smiling
- Hot or cold beverages
- Touching face, shaving, brushing teeth, or blowing nose
- Air blowing across face
The cause of trigeminal neuralgia can be divided into idiopathic or symptomatic. About 85% of cases are idiopathic, or unknown. Symptomatic causes can include aneurysms, tumors, meningeal inflammation, blood vessel loops, or multiple sclerosis that can irritate or compress the trigeminal nerve.
The evaluation for trigeminal neuralgia includes a thorough history and examination. No laboratory, electrophysiologic, or radiologic testing is required for the diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia in the majority of patients. In certain patients, your doctor may order laboratories or brain imaging tests.
There is no cure for trigeminal neuralgia and the pain can relapse and remit. The goal of treatment for trigeminal neuralgia is to reduce your pain and lengthen the duration between painful attacks. Anti-epileptic medications such as carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine help reduce pain in about 75% of patients. If your trigeminal neuralgia is due to compression of the trigeminal nerve, then surgery may be an option.
Make an appointment with our expert neurologists today to get diagnosed and treated for your facial pain!