How to Treat Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal Neuralgia, also known as tic douloureux, is the frequent occurrence of stabbing facial pains. Here are some tips you can follow to treat this condition.
Causes
The aging process can lead to trigeminal neuralgia.
Tic Douloureux is also associated with Multiple Sclerosis.
Presence of a tumor can also lead to this condition, especially if it compresses the trigeminal nerve.
Triggers
Stabbing facial pains can occur with or without any stimuli. Some of the common triggers of this stimuli are the following.
Eating and drinking
Brushing of teeth
Talking
Air
Smiling
Shaving
Symptoms
The primary symptom of Trigeminal Neuralgia is facial pain. Here are the characteristics of pain that you will feel.
Frequent sharp stabbing pains on your face.
Episodes of pain could either be caused by an external stimuli or can be spontaneous.
Pain can last for a few minutes or if severe, for a few days.
Pain only affects one side of the face.
Diagnosis
Your doctor will ask you about the severity and occurances of your facial pain. You may also undergo a neurological examination to make sure that your condition really is Tic Douloureux, as facial pain can be a symptom of other illnesses.
A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scan can also be done to check if you have Multiple Sclerosis. This condition also leads to Trigeminal Nueralgia.
Medications
Patients with Trigeminal Neuralgia are first treated with medications. If the prescibed medicines don’t work, the doctor may recommend sugery.
Anti-convulsants. Carbamezapine (Tegretol) is commonly given to patients with tic Douloureux. Other anticonvulasant medications that may be prescribed are Phenytoin (Dilantin), Gabapentin (Neurontin), Lamotrigine (Lamictal) and Oxycarbazepine (Trileptal). When taking an anti-convulsant drug, monitor your moods as it’s said that these type of drug can result to suicidal ideations.
Anti-spasticity medications help relax your facial muscles. A drug that can be given to you is Baclofen. Some side effects you may encounter are nausea and drowsiness.
Treatments
When your condition can’t be cured by taking medications, your doctor may suggest that you undergo surgery. Here are some types of surgery that is usually done to cure Trigeminal Neuralgia.
Percutaneous Glycerol Rhizotomy (PGR). When glycerol is injected, it damages the trigeminal nerve and relieves pain. You may experience numbness or tingling sensations on your face after the surgery.
Microvascular Decompression is done to position blood vessels away from the root of the fifth cranial nerve. The compression of your trigeminal nerve may be the reason for your condition. Placing your blood vessels away from the nerve root will help ease your facial pain. Your doctor may also choose to damage the nerve if it’s not compressed by any vein or artery.
Percutaneous Balloon Compression of the Trigeminal Nerve (PBCTN) puts pressure to the nerves, therby damaging it and blocking pain signals. Most patients who had this procedure experienced facial numbness. Some also experience weakness in their jaw muscles, making it hard for them to eat.
Percutaneous Stereotactic Radio frequency Thermal Rhizotomy (PSRTR) destroys nerves responsible for transmitting pain signals. After the doctor has identified the source of the pain, this part of the nerve is damaged through heating the electrodes.
Partial Sensory Rhizotomy (PSR). In this procedure, part of the Trigeminal nerve is cut off. The result of this procedure is permanent facial numbness.
Home Care
There may be nothing you can do to avoid those stabbing facial pains, but it’s still a good idea to try to avoid facial triggers.
Use warm compress or cold compress to relieve pain.
Follow directions. Take your medications religiously and do what the doctor instructs you to do.
On cold weather, use a scarf or a hat to cover your face, or the side of your face that frequently experiences facial pain. Protecting your face from the varying temperatures will help reduce episodes of pain.
Don’t eat too hot or too cold foods. These may trigger another pain attack.
Avoid shaving your face.