The trigeminal nerve carries sensation from the face to the brain. It's most common in women over age 50.
Symptoms range from mild to severe facial pain, often triggered by chewing, speaking, or brushing the teeth.
Treatment includes medications, injections, and surgery.
- tic douloureux
- fothergill’s disease
Consult a doctor for medical advice
Sources: Mayo Clinic and others.
Rare
Fewer than 200,000 US cases per year
Treatment can help, but this condition can't be cured
Requires a medical diagnosis
Lab tests or imaging rarely required
Chronic: can last for years or be lifelong
rigeminal 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 and cause 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.
There has been a critical error on this website.