FEW of us may have felt twinges that cause mild pain. Perhaps this is a disease of trigeminal neuralgia, a chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal nerve, the nerve that carries sensation from the face to the brain.
Someone with trigeminal neuralgia, mild stimulation of the face, such as brushing teeth or using makeup, can trigger a jolt of excruciating pain.
At first, you may experience mild attacks in the short term. But, trigeminal neuralgia can progress to cause pain for longer, and taste like burning.
This condition affects women more often than men, and more likely to occur in people older than 50 years.
Trigeminal neuralgia symptoms may include one or more of the following patterns:
1. Pain in areas supplied by the trigeminal nerve, including the cheek, jaw, teeth, gums, lips, eyes and forehead (quite rare).
2. Pain affecting one side of the face at a time.
3. Pain focused in one place or spread in a wider pattern.
4. Attacks become more frequent and intense over time.
5. Twitch that cause mild pain.
6. Feeling like a puncture or a severe fire, so it might feel like an electric shock.
7. Attacks of severe pain or attacks triggered by things such as touching the face, chewing, talking, and brushing teeth.
8. Pain attacks that lasts for a few seconds.
9. Pain attacks that lasts for several days, weeks, months, or even longer. some people have a period where they do not experience pain.
