Trigeminal Neuralgia is a medical condition in which the person suffers intense pain in his or her face. The reason for the pain suffered by the patient is compression of the trigeminal nerve that is located in the face.
When this nerve is put under pressure, the person starts feeling episodes of pain in different parts of his face such as eyes, scalp, cheeks, ears, teeth, lips and sides of the face. Trigeminal neuralgia mostly affects women that are 50 years of age; however, there have been cases of this disorder found in children of ages three and four as well.
Causes of Trigeminal Neuralgia
The main cause of trigeminal neuralgia is the compression of the trigeminal nerve. This compression can be caused by a number of different reasons. The most common of them is old age.
As people age, wear and tear happens and the myelin sheath covering this nerve gets torn away exposing the nerve to external pressures. Another possible cause of this compression can be contact between an enlarged blood vessel and the trigeminal nerve. Besides these common causes, tumors, brain lesions and aneurysms have also been known to cause trigeminal neuralgia in some patients.
Symptoms of Trigeminal Neuralgia
The most obvious symptom of trigeminal neuralgia is a sharp pain felt in the face triggered by even simple acts like chewing, brushing or doing make-up. This pain which seems like an electric shock often lasts for a small moment of time and fades away just as quickly as it appears.
However, over time, the duration of this pain may increase and its intensity may also exacerbate. If you find the episodes of these pain attacks becoming more frequent and lasting for more than a minute then it is time for you to consult a Los Angeles Pain Management Doctor.
Diagnosis of Trigeminal Neuralgia
The doctors usually use a physical examination to determine the type and location of the pain that you are experiencing. Most of the time an examination is not enough to accurately diagnose this disorder.
In such cases, the Pain Management Doctor is going to have an MRI (Mirror Resonance Imaging) done. This test is going to reveal if the trigeminal nerve is being compressed due to any reason. The doctor can order several other tests if he wants to rule out the possibilities of other disorders.
Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal neuralgia can be treated in a number of ways. If the disorder is diagnosed at an earlier stage, administration of drugs like anticonvulsants and antispasmodic agents is the first line of treatment. These drugs are prescribed for alleviating the pain suffered by the patient by blocking the pain signals from reaching the brain.
One pain procedure that often works well for trigeminal neuralgia is Radiofrequency Thermal Lesioning, also called radiofrequency ablation. The treatment has a very good outcome. There are also procedures that utilize a balloon treatment against the nerve for pain relief. Often Los Angeles pain management doctors provide both options.
The CA Pain Network offers over 20 LA and Orange County pain management doctors at 20 locations, accepting over 50 insurance plans.
If you are suffering from facial pain and would like to receive top notch treatment from the best pain doctors in LA and OC, call the Network today at (310) 626-1526.