October 7 is Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day. Bring out the teal ribbons in support of all of those fighting this horrible disease. I had no idea what this disease was when I found out my mother has it. After many years of research and experiencing my mother go through it, I can share with you all what Trigeminal Neuralgia truly is.
Trigeminal Neuralgia is known as the most excruciating pain known to man kind. The pain typically involves the lower face and jaw, although sometimes it affects the area around the nose and above the eye. This intense, stabbing, electric shock-like pain is caused by irritation of the trigeminal nerve, which sends branches to the forehead, cheek and lower jaw. It usually is limited to one side of the face. The trigeminal nerve is the fifth of 12 pairs of cranial nerves in the head. It is the nerve responsible for providing sensation to the face.The cause of the pain usually is due to contact between a healthy artery or vein and the trigeminal nerve at the base of the brain. This places pressure on the nerve as it enters the brain and causes the nerve to misfire. Most patients report that their pain begins spontaneously and seemingly out of nowhere. Some patients suffer less than one attack a day, while others experience a dozen or more every hour. The pain typically begins with a sensation of electrical shocks that culminates in an excruciating stabbing pain within less than 20 seconds. Attacks of trigeminal neuralgia may be triggered by the following:
- Touching the skin lightly
- Washing
- Shaving
- Brushing teeth
- Blowing the nose
- Drinking hot or cold beverages
- Encountering a light breeze
- Applying makeup
- Smiling
- Talking
Drugs that can be taken to help alleviate the pain include Carbamazepine and Gabapentin. In the early stages of the disease, Carbamazepine controls pain for most people. When a patient shows no relief from this medication, a physician has cause to doubt whether trigeminal neuralgia is present. However, the effectiveness of Carbamazepine decreases over time. Possible side effects include dizziness, double vision, drowsiness and nausea. Botox is another option that many patients are able to find relief in. The Botox is injected directly into the nerve itself and the surrounding areas to reduce the amount of sharp pain. Patients can have these injections done biweekly, monthly, or when they feel the Botox is wearing off and the pain is returning.
Gamma Knife surgery is one of the most common surgeries for Trigeminal Neuralgia. Gamma Knife offers a non-invasive alternative for many patients for whom traditional brain surgery is not an option. Gamma Knife surgery removes the physical trauma and the majority of risks associated with conventional surgery. Gamma Knife radiosurgery uses specialized equipment to focus about 200 tiny beams of radiation on a tumor or other target with submillimeter accuracy. Although each beam has very little effect on the brain tissue it passes through, a strong dose of radiation is delivered to the place where all the beams meet.
There is obviously more to Trigeminal Neuralgia than just this. Please, if you know someone with Trigeminal Neuralgia just know their pain is not always seen from the outside. Wear those teal ribbons on October 7 to bring awareness with those fighting Trigeminal Neuralgia.
