Trigeminal Neuralgia Community

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Brief Description

Trigeminal Neuralgia is a disorder of the trigeminal nerve that causes periods of intense pain in the eyes, lips, nose, scalp, forehead, and jaw.

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Synonyms

TN, Tic Doloureux, Prosopalgia People often call trigeminal neuralgia "tic douloureux" because of a characteristic muscle spasm that accompanies the pain. * The pain comes from one or more branches of the trigeminal nerve-the major carrier of sensory information from the face to the brain. o There are 3 branches of the trigeminal nerve: the ophthalmic, maxillary, and mandibular. The pain of trigeminal neuralgia occurs almost exclusively in the maxillary and mandibular divisions. o You most commonly feel pain in the maxillary nerve, which runs along your cheekbone, most of your nose, upper lip, and upper teeth. Next most commonly affected is the mandibular nerve, affecting your lower cheek, lower lip, and jaw. * In almost all cases (97%), pain will be restricted to one side of your face. * Most of the time, doctors cannot identify any disease of the trigeminal nerve or the central nervous system. * Trigeminal neuralgia most frequently affects women older than 50 years. The disease occurs rarely in those younger than 30 years. Such cases are usually linked to damage from diseases of central nervous system, for example, multiple sclerosis.

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