Trigeminal Neuralgia

Applies to: Head

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a neuropathic disorder characterized by episodes of intense pain in the face, originating from the trigeminal nerve. It is estimated that 1 in 15,000 people suffer from TN. Most often, symptoms are found in people over 50.

Some common signs of Trigeminal Neuralgia include:

• only one side of face is affected (though about 10 percent of cases are bilateral)
• episodes can last from several seconds to a few minutes
• episodes may occur as often as a few hundred times a day
• condition is cyclical in nature and remissions can occur which can last months or years

Patients often describe an area on the face that is so sensitive that even an air current or simple activities like talking or shaving can trigger an episode. The pain is often described as shooting, sharp, stabbing or like electric shocks.