Medical Conditions - Trigeminal Neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia is a neuropathic facial pain condition. The pain is recurrent and episodic. Patients describe this pain as lancinating, sharp, pricking, stabbing, and electric shock-like pain lasting for few seconds. It affects one side of the face. The cause has been attributed to the damage of the myelin sheath of the trigeminal nerve and nerve compression due to an enlarged blood vessel. In addition, specific triggers like a gentle touch on the face, chewing, shaving, brushing the teeth, washing face, smiling, talking, wind blow over the face, etc., are known to cause pain episodes. Carbamazepine is recommended to reduce nerve pain. Glycerol injections, balloon compression, radiofrequency lesioning, and microvascular decompression are the available treatment options to relieve the symptoms.