trigeminal neuralgia
a severe from of NEURALGIA that can affect all the divisions of the TRIGEMINAL NERVE . It affects women more commonly than men, especially those over the age of 50. It causes severe pain of a burning or cutting nature, which can be constant or spasmodic and may be provoked by simple actions such as eating or heat or cold. The skin of the face may be inflamed and the eye red and watery and the neuralgia is usually confined to one side. The condition is debilitating in that pain is intense and interferes with sleeping and eating, but the ANTICONVULSANT drug carbamazepine is proving to be highly beneficial.
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a type of chronic pain that affects your face. It causes extreme, sudden burning or shock-like pain. It usually affects one side of the face. Any vibration on your face, even from talking, can set it off. The condition may come and go, disappearing for days or even months. But the longer you have it, the less often it goes away.
TN usually affects people over 50, especially women. The cause is probably a blood vessel pressing on the trigeminal nerve, one of the largest nerves in the head. Tumors and multiple sclerosis can also cause TN, but in some cases the cause is unknown.
There is no specific test for TN. It can be hard to diagnose, since many other conditions can cause facial pain. Treatment options include medicines, surgery, and complementary techniques.
NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
trigeminal-neuralgia