The trigeminal nerve is one of the major brain nerves involved in the major sensory and motor functions of the face. Trigeminal neuralgia is a paroxysmal electric shock-like severe pain that occurs in the area of distribution of the trigeminal nerve and lasts for seconds or minutes, with intermittent asymptomatic periods. The course of the disease is cyclical and the pain can be spontaneous or caused by stimulation of the trigger point. Trigeminal neuralgia is divided into primary trigeminal neuralgia and secondary trigeminal neuralgia, and people often refer to primary trigeminal neuralgia.
Characteristics of trigeminal neuralgia.
1, gender and age: the age is mostly above 40 years old, with more middle-aged and elderly people, about 70 to 80% of those above 40 years old. There are more women than men, about 3:2.
2, pain site: not beyond the distribution of the trigeminal nerve, often confined to one side, mostly involving one, with the maxillary branch, the mandibular branch is most commonly involved, accounting for about 95%.
3, the nature of pain: the pain is episodic electric shock-like, knife-like, tear-like pain, sudden onset and sudden stop. Each pain lasts for a few seconds to a few minutes. The interval between attacks is gradually shortened and the pain is gradually increased. Frequent attacks may affect eating and rest.
4, triggering factors: pain attacks are often triggered by talking, eating, washing, shaving, brushing teeth and other actions, and even wind blowing or loud noises can cause attacks, so that patients are on tenterhooks, depressed, careful and cautious actions, even afraid to wash their faces, brush their teeth, eat, and speak carefully, for fear of causing attacks.
5, trigger point: trigger point is also known as “trigger point”, often located in the upper lip, nose, gums, corner of the mouth, tongue, eyebrows and other places. Light touch or stimulate the trigger point can stimulate the pain attack, anesthesia “trigger point” can often make the pain attack temporary relief.
6, expression and facial changes: the attack often suddenly stop talking, eating and other activities, the pain side can show spasms, that is, “painful spasms”, frowning and clenching teeth, open mouth to cover the eyes, or hand rubbing the face so that local skin roughness, thickening, eyebrow hair loss, conjunctival congestion, tearing and salivation. The expression of the patient is in a state of mental tension and anxiety.
Treatment of trigeminal neuralgia
There are various treatments for trigeminal neuralgia, such as medication, acupuncture, block therapy, closure therapy, surgery, radiofrequency therapy, balloon compression of the semilunar ganglion, and microvascular decompression of the trigeminal nerve root. However, in view of the fact that there is no breakthrough in the world research on this disease, any of the treatment methods cannot remove the root of the disease and can only relieve the patient’s pain or remove it for a period of time, with a high recurrence rate.
In view of the characteristics of the disease, patients are advised to use different treatments according to clinical symptoms, generally starting with less damaging methods, and then considering nerve-damaging therapies as well as surgical treatments when the treatment is not effective. Currently, temperature-controlled thermal coagulation radiofrequency therapy is widely used in clinical practice. The method is safe and efficient, the procedure takes 30-60 minutes, and the patient receives temperature-controlled treatment in the awake state with obvious effects, relieving or relieving the long-term pain and the trouble of taking painkillers.
Due to the easy operation of radiofrequency therapy, the treatment effect is good and can be repeatedly implemented, and the recurrence rate is relatively low and gladly accepted by the majority of patients.
Notes for daily life of trigeminal neuralgia patients.
1.Use the interval after the onset of pain to clean the face and mouth, maintain personal hygiene and avoid other diseases.
2. Wash your face and brush your teeth with warm water and avoid cold water stimulation.
3. Pay attention to climate change and avoid stimulation of the face by wind and cold weather. Wear a mask or hood when you go out.
4. Quit smoking and drinking, and eat less spicy food to avoid chemical stimulation to induce pain.
5.Eat soft, easy-to-chew food and avoid hard objects.
6.Avoid pain-inducing mechanical movements as much as possible.
7.Maintain optimism and avoid pain induced by emotions such as anxiety and anxiety.