subject: The 411 On The Condition Called Trigeminal Neuralgia [print this page] Trigeminal neuralgia is classified as neuropathic condition. It is unlike other medical conditions that can exist in the body for appreciable periods of time without the patient's knowledge. The patient would instantly know about it because the pain is so excruciating. But patients have a harder time trying to identify the build-up of this condition. But the condition itself, once it has started manifesting, is hard to ignore on account of its excruciating pain.
Trigeminal neuralgia is also identified with other names, some of which you may be familiar with. Among them is the name 'tic doulourex'. There is also the name prosopalgia. Another name would be Fothergill's disease. The name of the condition, Trigeminal neuralgia, is derived from that part of the body that it affects, which is the trigeminal nerve. The use of the prefix 'tri' indicates that this condition has something that can be associated with the number three. The 'three' in this case refers to the three branches of the trigeminal nerve, namely the ophthalmic, the mandibular, and the maxillary branches. The condition can affect any of these branches, or two or even the whole bunch of them. It is the face that will receive the brunt of the pain since these nerves are found in that part of the body. Those include the eye region, the ear region, the nose region, the forehead, the jaws, the scalp or in a sizeable number of cases, the forehead.
Statistically, it has been observed that tic doulourex affects women more frequently than it does affect men. It is however, by no means, a gender-specific condition: it affects people of both genders - but women seem to be somewhat more vulnerable to it than men.
This condition can also be affected by the age of the person suffering from it. People who are more than 50 years of age tend to feel the pain and other symptoms of this condition although they must have started acquiring it when they were still very young. However, that does not completely exclude younger people or those below 50 from suffering this condition. As a matter of fact, there have been many pediatric cases, some being cases where kids under the age of 5 were eventually diagnosed with the condition. However, it is still an undeniable fact that older people, especially those who are more than 50 years old, experience the painful symptoms of Trigeminal neuralgia.
Treating trigeminal neuralgia entails several things. First and foremost would be keeping a rein on the agonizing pain. Secondly, it entails attempting to correct the neuropathy (which can give a more enduring solution, but which can also be very challenging). There is evidence that the probability for success in correcting the neuropathy behind this condition is higher if the condition is diagnosed early, and treatment initiated immediately. In many cases, treatment of Trigeminal neuralgia is done by way of administering medications and drugs. Surgery is also another option, especially if the patient prefers a treatment that provides more lasting relief.
