Trigeminal neuralgia is a disease of the elderly, the average age of patients is more than 60 years. Trigeminal neuralgia usually develops in women.
Reasons for this disease
It is believed that in most cases, the cause of this pathology is vascular compression of the trigeminal root at the level of cerebral pons. In simple words, the superior cerebellar artery passes near the trigeminal nerve and, under certain conditions, mechanical vibrations of the arterial wall are transmitted to the nerve, which causes demyelination (damage to the nerve membrane) of the nerve. A pathological focus of excitation is formed.
Trigeminal neuralgia develops due to the following reasons:
How is the disease manifested?
Symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia are:
– spreads to one or more areas innervated by the trigeminal nerve;
– sudden, piercing, shooting, burning pain;
– pain most often occurs during exposure to triggering factors (food, conversation, brushing, etc.);
– during the attack, a certain behaviour of the patient is observed: he freezes, does not move, tries not to speak);
– in the interictal period, neurological symptoms are absent;
Diagnostic measures
Diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia involves the exclusion of other causes of facial pain based on the studying of the medical history, neurological examination, the use of special diagnostic methods – CT, MRI.
Trigeminal neuralgia treatment should be started as soon as the first signs of the disease have appeared. Prolonged compression of a nerve can lead to irreversible pathological processes. The treatment of trigeminal neuralgia is selected by the doctor individually in each case.
The main goal of treatment is relief of pain and prevention of the attacks relapsing.
The main methods used in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia:
The main medications used to treat this pathology are:
With the ineffectiveness of drug therapy, as well as in cases of pronounced side effects that impede its implementation, the question of surgical treatment is raised.
At the Medical Center «MedClinic» radiofrequency destruction of the trigeminal ganglion is performed – the most accurate medical technology, which is based on selective thermocoagulation of nerve structures with special electrodes.
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Trigeminal neuralgia
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