Humans are very sensitive to any type of stimulus. The major stimulus which every human body reacts to is pain. Pain felt in any part of the body causes a feeling of discomfort and agony.
One of the most sensitive parts of the human body is the face. Pain in the limbs is quite common and has been experienced by all of us at least once in our lives. But a sharp pain in the face can be really irritating and can make you uncomfortable.
We will now learn about the pain which is also described as the most excruciating pain known to humanity.
It is also known as tic douloureux. It is a pain felt in the face and jaw, and sometimes also affects the area above the eye and around the nose. This pain is said to occur at any age.
It is an intense, searing, electric shock-like pain felt in the jaw and lower or upper portion of the face. It is caused by irritation or damage to the trigeminal nerve. This nerve is one of the most widely distributed nerves in the head, which branches to the forehead, cheek and lower jaw.
There are two trigeminal nerves for each side of the face, but trigeminal neuralgia occurs mostly on one side only.
This pain can sometimes be so severe that it makes an affected person unable to eat or drink. It spreads throughout the face in a matter of a few seconds, but as it grows, it can for minutes.
The trigeminal nerve has three branches, on the basis of which, the area of pain may vary. These branches are:
The following can be the symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia:
There are two types of trigeminal neuralgia: Primary trigeminal neuralgia and Secondary trigeminal neuralgia.
-PRIMARY TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA
This condition arises when the trigeminal nerve and its function is disrupted. Usually, the problem arises due to contact between a normal blood vessel (arteries and veins) and the trigeminal nerve at the base of the brain, which causes pressure on the nerve as it enters the brain and causes it to malfunction.
It can occur when the myelin sheath (the protective outer layer of a nerve) wears away due to pressure on the nerve, cause stabbing pain.
-SECONDARY TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA
In some cases, it can be caused due to the pressure on the nerve from certain medical conditions such as:
There may be certain stimuli that act as triggers for trigeminal neuralgia pain. Some examples of such stimuli are:
The description of the pain helps the doctor decide the diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia. These include:
A few physical tests conducted to diagnose trigeminal neuralgia are as follows:
Reflex tests can also be used to determine the symptoms.
The treatment of trigeminal neuralgia starts from medication. However, if the patient stops responding to the medications, the doctor may have to suggest injections or non-surgical, minimally invasive, keyhole treatments or surgery.
~MEDICINES
The doctor generally prescribes medicines to block pain signals sent to the brain. These medications may include:
~INJECTIONS
Some injections may be used to reduce pain when medicines are no longer in use.
~NONSURGICAL, MINIMALLY – INVASIVE, KEYHOLE TREATMENTS
The doctor selectively destroys the pain nerve fibres to reduce pain, which may lead to facial numbness.
It may include:
Waking the patient up from sleep, the doctor uses an electrode to send a mild electric current through its tip. After locating the area of pain, the electrode is heated to destroy nerves in the area to create an area of injury and relieve pain.
It may cause facial numbness rarely.
This successfully reduces pain but also causes facial numbness in some patients.
~SURGERY
The surgical treatment includes:
In this procedure, the doctor makes an incision on the side of the ear on the affected side and then through a hole in the skull, removes the blood vessels in contact with the trigeminal nerve. He then places a soft cushion between them.
Also, some risks are, associated with this procedure are:
~RHIZOTOMY
The doctor destroys the nerve fibres to reduce pain, which may lead to facial numbness.
It may include:
Waking the patient up from sedation, the doctor uses the electrode to send a mild electric current through its tip and asks about the location where tingling is felt. After locating the area of pain, the patient is sedated again and the electrode is heated to destroy nerves in the area to create an area of injury and relieve pain. It may cause facial numbness.
There are no certified solutions or preventions of trigeminal neuralgia. However, there are a few preventive measures that can help in keeping the attacks away after being diagnosed. These measures can be taken to manage the symptoms. These include:
CONCLUSION
Trigeminal neuralgia being named as the most excruciating pain known to humanity is proof enough of the severity of this ailment. Make sure to not ignore any symptoms and reach out for help to prevent them from becoming worse.
You may please click on the following link, to know the pleasant experiences of our patients.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrWiT9xLMH0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ3fbaevalA
REFERENCES
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