Trigeminal neuralgia, also known as tic douloureux, is a painful condition affecting the face. The pain can be excruciating and severely impair quality of life, yet due to limited public awareness it is frequently misdiagnosed as other conditions such as toothache. The exact cause remains unclear, but the medical community generally believes it may be related to long-term compression of the trigeminal nerve by blood vessels. In a small subset of cases, trigeminal neuralgia may be caused by serious underlying conditions such as brain tumors or demyelinating neuropathies.
MRI Can Aid Diagnosis
The hallmark of trigeminal neuralgia is severe facial pain. It typically begins suddenly, starting in a small area such as a tooth or lip and spreading to larger regions like the cheek or forehead, lasting from seconds to minutes, and may recur. Additionally, touching the face, speaking, or eating can trigger pain episodes.
Diagnosis relies primarily on the patient’s history and clinical symptoms; doctors conduct thorough examinations to rule out other serious conditions, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be arranged if needed.
Treatment Options
Treatment for trigeminal neuralgia mainly includes medications, surgery, and interventional procedures. Medications—such as anticonvulsants and analgesics—are usually tried first. If drugs are ineffective or unsuitable, surgery can be considered to separate the nerve from compressing vessels and relieve pressure. For patients who are not surgical candidates or wish to avoid the risks of open brain surgery, interventional treatments offer alternatives. These include various forms such as nerve blocks using medications (commonly known as “blocking injections”) or radiofrequency ablation to interrupt pain signal transmission.
Pain Medicine Specialist: Dr Lee Yuk Ming, Sunny
Medi-Health: Aging with Access to Care Program
Original source: Medi-Health: Aging with Access to Care — Trigeminal Neuralgia: Surgical and Interventional Treatments | Oriental Daily News | Headlines & Local News
Published in Oriental Daily News, 24 August 2023
https://orientaldaily.on.cc/content/news/odn-20230824-0824_00176_225/
Information provided by Dr. Lee Yuk-ming, Specialist in Pain Medicine
