Sakit sa gilid ng mukha? Facial pain?

Nakararanas ba kyo ng biglaang pagsakit ng isang side ng mukha? Sakit na hindi ordinaryo. Ano kaya ito? Trigeminal Neuralgia (also commonly called Facial Pain) is a chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal nerve, which carries sensation from your face to your brain. If you have trigeminal neuralgia, even mild stimulation of your face — such as from brushing your teeth or putting on makeup — may trigger a jolt of excruciating pain.

You may initially experience short, mild attacks. But trigeminal neuralgia can progress and cause longer, more-frequent bouts of searing pain. Trigeminal neuralgia affects women more often than men, and it’s more likely to occur in people who are older than 50.Because of the variety of treatment options available, having trigeminal neuralgia doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doomed to a life of pain. Neurologist usually can effectively manage trigeminal neuralgia with medications, injections or surgery.

Trigeminal neuralgia symptoms may include one or more of these patterns:

• Episodes of severe, shooting or jabbing pain that may feel like an electric shock
• Spontaneous attacks of pain or attacks triggered by things such as touching the face, chewing, speaking and brushing teeth
• Bouts of pain lasting from a few seconds to several minutes
• Episodes of several attacks lasting days, weeks, months or longer — some people have periods when they experience no pain
• Constant aching, burning feeling that’s less intense than the spasm-like pain
• Pain in areas supplied by the trigeminal nerve, including the cheek, jaw, teeth, gums, lips, or less often the eye and forehead
• Pain affecting one side of the face at a time, though may rarely affect both sides of the face
• Pain focused in one spot or spread in a wider pattern
• Attacks that become more frequent and intense over time

If you experience facial pain, particularly frequent or persistent pain unrelieved by over-the-counter pain relievers, it is advisable to get a professional help from a medical practitioner or a neurologist. However, diagnosing trigeminal neuralgia can be difficult and it can take a few years for a diagnosis to be confirmed.