Facial nerve pain

Description

Trigeminal neuralgia or inflammation of the facial nerves represents an irritated fifth cranial nerve, which causes severe, transitory episodes of facial pain. Even slight touching of the face can cause the symptoms. Most often the cause is not found. The causes of the disorder include: multiple sclerosis, tumor or pressure to the nerve coming from adjacent blood vessels. This disorder more often occurs in women and appears usually in late adult period.

Symptoms

Very sharp facial pain like electric shock which lasts several seconds or minutes, pain is usually only on the one side of the face, pain around the eyes, pain in the cheek. Pain can be caused by the touch or sound or normal every day activities such as drinking or shaving.

Overview

History of disease is being taken and physical examination is being done. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and blood analysis can be helpful to exclude other disorders.

Specialists

General Practice, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Neurosurgery

Therapy

Therapy is directed at reducing the pain intensity and frequencies of seizures, Medicines are: antieliptics (carbamazepine / Tegretol, Galepsin / Neurontin, phenytoin / Dilantin), medicines for migraine (sumatriptan / Imitrex) ,and/or tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline / Elavil, nortriptyline / Pamelor). Some patient may need a surgery.