1.What is trigeminal neuralgia? A: Trigeminal neuralgia is a transient, recurrent paroxysmal severe pain in the distribution area of the facial trigeminal nerve. It is characterized by burning, stabbing, cutting or tearing pain on the affected side of the face. The pain does not usually go beyond the midline. Each attack may last from a few seconds to 1-2 minutes and then stop abruptly, with intervals as normal. The condition may gradually worsen and the number of pain attacks may become more frequent, even once a few minutes, so that it may last all day. The pain can be triggered by touching the skin of the patient’s face. In severe cases, patients dare not wash their faces, brush their teeth or even chew, and rely on drinking a small amount of liquid or semi-liquid food to maintain nutrition throughout the day, which seriously affects the quality of life. 2.Why does trigeminal neuralgia occur? A: Trigeminal neuralgia may be caused by a variety of factors, such as: vascular compression, multiple sclerosis, tumors, etc., of which vascular compression is the most common factor. 3.How should trigeminal neuralgia be treated? A: There are many treatment methods for trigeminal neuralgia. In addition to medication, there are closure therapy, peripheral branch excision or extraction, trigeminal spinal bundle excision via medulla oblongata, trigeminal sensory root excision, selective trigeminal root radiofrequency destruction by percutaneous puncture and widely used trigeminal nerve microvascular decompression. 4.There are so many trigeminal neuralgia treatment methods, how should I choose? A: For patients with initial trigeminal neuralgia, the first treatment should be conservative treatment based on medication. If it is ineffective or the side effects are not tolerated after taking medication, surgery should be performed in time. In terms of drug treatment, the most widely used and effective drug is carbamazepine. The side effects of long-term drug use include drowsiness, vertigo, digestive dysfunction, impaired liver function, and suppression of the hematopoietic system. For surgical treatment, microvascular decompression of the posterior root of the trigeminal nerve, with its high efficiency and low recurrence rate, has become the preferred method for surgical treatment of trigeminal neuralgia.