Trigeminal nerve is a group of nerves that is responsible for chewing and production of saliva. It is present on either side of the ear and trigeminal nerve is also known as fifth cranial nerve. It runs from the brain and passes through your face near the ear. The main nerve separates into three nerve endings and hence called as Tri (three) geminal nerve. Since the nerve goes to your scalp through forehead, cheeks and jaw sharp pain is felt on these areas.
Trigeminal neuralgia can cause chronic (long term) pain on your face giving bouts of excruciating pain. The pain is felt largely while touching your face like applying makeup or brushing your teeth etc. Even a small stimulation of the face can trigger this pain. The pain can be recurring and can cause mild attacks on your face. Trigeminal neuralgia affects elderly people largely and is more on women than men. The pain can be controlled by effective treatment and medications. Trigeminal neuralgia is a rare type of pain affecting people who are above 60 years and about 1 in every million people are affected.
Symptoms :
Trigeminal neuralgia can cause sudden episodes of shooting pain on your face that it can be felt as electric shock. The pain can be felt spontaneous when you touch the face. The pain would last for few seconds only but it may return again. For some people it can cause mild pain occasionally. Pain is triggered while you are touching the face for anything or for brushing your teeth. Many people describe the pain as though someone is stabbing with a knife on their face and piercing the skin.
The areas like cheeks, in and around the ears and jaws are worst affected with pain since the nerve passes through these areas. Pain is usually felt on one side of your face. For some people pain is focused in only one part like jaw or cheeks but for others it would spread widely. If not treated promptly, staggering pain is felt frequently and intensely over time.
Causes :