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Trigeminal Neuralgia
Is cold compress effective for trigeminal neuralgia?
Trigeminal neuralgia is a type of intense recurring pain in the facial areas distributed by the trigeminal nerve. When an attack occurs, the pain is unbearable for the patient. Clinically, besides immediately taking medication or opting for surgical treatments after stabilization, applying a cold compress can also alleviate symptoms. Placing a cold towel on the painful facial areas can relieve spasms and pain, improve local swelling, raise the pain threshold, and subsequently reduce the sensation of pain.
trigeminal neuralgia area
The trigeminal nerve, being the fifth pair of cranial nerves, branches into three divisions after emerging from the skull. The first division is the ophthalmic division, which innervates the upper eyelid and superficial parts of the eye and forehead. The second division is the maxillary division, governing the cheek, upper lip, and gums. The third division is the mandibular division, which affects the lower lip and gums. Trigeminal neuralgia is pain that occurs in the areas innervated by the trigeminal nerve, typically affecting one side and primarily involving the second and third divisions, with the second being the most common and the third next, while the first division is rare. The pain of trigeminal neuralgia can be confined to the area of one division or can occur in two or all three divisions simultaneously.
Trigeminal neuralgia pain level
The World Health Organization classifies pain into five levels. Level zero is no pain. Level one is mild pain that does not require medication. Level two is moderate pain that requires medication. Level three is severe pain that necessitates medication. Level four involves severe and intense pain, often accompanied by changes in vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse, and respiration. Trigeminal neuralgia is a type of severe pain that occurs repeatedly in the trigeminal nerve area. It is recognized globally as one of the most painful diseases, often referred to as the "world's greatest pain" and "the cancer that does not kill." Patients often live in a state of feeling better off dead, which indicates the extreme level of pain associated with this disease. The pain level for this condition is classified as level four, the highest level.
Is trigeminal neuralgia dangerous?
Trigeminal neuralgia manifests in the regions of the face covered by the distributions of the trigeminal nerve, featuring recurrent, severe pain. The onset of the disorder is sudden and it resolves quickly as well. The pain is usually described as cutting, electric shock-like, burning, or tearing; it is a stubborn, difficult-to-treat pain, colloquially known as the "king of pain" and "the foremost pain in the world," which reflects the extreme level of pain associated with trigeminal neuralgia. Trigeminal neuralgia is generally not fatal, but it inflicts significant harm on the human body, making sufferers feel as if death would be preferable. It causes substantial psychological and physical obstacles and can even trigger the onset of some cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, potentially leading to sudden death. Thus, trigeminal neuralgia is considered a rather dangerous disease.
Causes of Trigeminal Neuralgia
At present, there is no consensus on the specific causes of trigeminal neuralgia. Most scholars believe that the main cause of trigeminal neuralgia is still due to the presence of a local responsible blood vessel around the trigeminal nerve, which compresses the trigeminal nerve, leading to abnormal discharges of the trigeminal nerve. This results in sudden attacks and sudden stops of severe, knife-like or burning pain, also known as trigeminal neuralgia. In terms of treatment, it mainly involves active drug therapy and some physical therapies, such as massage, manipulation, physiotherapy, and acupuncture. Most patients who experience poor results from conservative treatments can opt for microvascular decompression surgery, which often achieves good therapeutic outcomes.
Should people with trigeminal neuralgia avoid certain foods?
Patients with trigeminal neuralgia need to be cautious about their diet. In daily life, try to avoid oily, spicy, and irritating foods, as these types of foods may trigger an attack of trigeminal neuralgia or make the existing attacks more frequent, thereby causing great pain to the patient. It is recommended to choose a light diet in daily life, low in salt and fat, especially for patients with high blood pressure or diabetes, who need to be more cautious. It may be beneficial to appropriately include some fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet, and it is also suggested to supplement with some multivitamin drugs, which might enhance the effects. If trigeminal neuralgia attacks frequently, it is still recommended to visit a local hospital in a timely manner and consider undergoing microvascular decompression surgery for treatment.
Is trigeminal neuralgia easy to treat?
Whether trigeminal neuralgia is easy to treat must be judged based on the situation at the time. The vast majority of patients with trigeminal nerve pain can find a corresponding cause, such as compression by blood vessels, tumors, or infection factors. For vascular compression, microvascular decompression surgery can be adopted for treatment. For tumor compression, craniotomy and tumor resection can be adopted for treatment. For some infectious factors, treatment such as anti-infection and hormones can be adopted. These are relatively easier to treat, and most can have a very obvious prognosis. However, there are also cases, such as trigeminal neuralgia where no specific cause has been found, called primary trigeminal neuralgia, where active complete treatment is not possible, and only certain methods can be used to alleviate the general symptoms of the patient and reduce their suffering.
Which hospital is good for trigeminal neuralgia?
For trigeminal neuralgia, it is generally recommended that patients seek medical advice from a prominent tertiary hospital early in the onset and consult a neurosurgeon to assess their condition. Once diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia, initial treatment can often start with oral medication, which can relieve pain to a certain extent for most patients. However, medication alone rarely cures the condition completely. Clinically, it is typically recommended that patients undergo microvascular decompression surgery, which has satisfying therapeutic outcomes for most patients, gradually alleviating, or even eliminating, the symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia pain. Therefore, for such patients, early diagnosis and treatment are advised.
Radical treatment method for trigeminal neuralgia
The fundamental cause of trigeminal neuralgia lies in the compression of the trigeminal nerve root by aberrant blood vessels around the area where it exits the brain stem. This compression leads to demyelination of the trigeminal nerve and causes a short circuit in the trigeminal nerve conduction pathway, resulting in trigeminal neuralgia. Currently, the only definitive cure for trigeminal neuralgia is microvascular decompression surgery. This surgery addresses the cause of trigeminal neuralgia by opening the skull, locating the trigeminal nerve and the compressing vessel, and placing a cushion between the nerve and the vessel to achieve a cure. This type of surgery is characterized by minimal trauma, preservation of nerve function, rapid recovery, and low complication rates, making it the best treatment for trigeminal neuralgia that can achieve a definitive cure.
Trigeminal neuralgia is divided into several branches.
Trigeminal neuralgia is anatomically divided into three branches: the first branch is the ophthalmic branch, the second branch is the maxillary branch, and the third branch is the mandibular branch. The scope of pain can be used to roughly determine which branch is affected. Generally, pain located in the forehead area is caused by the first branch, the ophthalmic branch. Pain in the area from the tip of the nose to the lips is caused by the second branch, the maxillary branch. Pain from the lips to the angle of the jaw is caused by the third branch, the mandibular branch. Therefore, we can understand which branch is in pain by the distribution area and scope of the trigeminal neuralgia.