Causes
By Mayo Clinic staffIn trigeminal neuralgia, also called tic douloureux, the trigeminal nerve's function is disrupted. Usually, the problem is contact between a normal blood vessel — in this case, an artery or a vein — and the trigeminal nerve, at the base of your brain. This contact puts pressure on the nerve and causes it to malfunction.
Trigeminal neuralgia can occur as a result of aging, or it can be related to multiple sclerosis or a similar disorder that damages the myelin sheath protecting certain nerves. Less commonly, trigeminal neuralgia can be caused by a tumor compressing the trigeminal nerve. In other cases, a cause can't be found.
Triggers
A variety of triggers may set off the pain of trigeminal neuralgia, including:
- Shaving
- Stroking your face
- Eating
- Drinking
- Brushing your teeth
- Talking
- Putting on makeup
- Encountering a breeze
- Smiling
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- Nerve blocks. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=nerveblock#part_nine. Accessed Feb. 18, 2010.
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- Swanson JW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 1, 2010.

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