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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Trigeminal neuralgia symptoms may include one or more of these patterns:
- Occasional twinges of mild pain
- 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 seconds
- Episodes of several attacks lasting days, weeks, months or longer —some people have periods when they experience no pain
- Pain in areas supplied by the trigeminal nerve (nerve branches), including the cheek, jaw, teeth, gums, lips, or less often the eye and forehead
- Pain affecting one side of your face at a time
- Pain focused in one spot or spread in a wider pattern
- Attacks becoming more frequent and intense over time
When to see a doctor
If you experience facial pain, particularly prolonged or recurring pain or pain unrelieved by over-the-counter pain relievers, see your doctor.
References
- Trigeminal neuralgia fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/trigeminal_neuralgia/detail_trigeminal_neuralgia.htm. Accessed Feb. 18, 2010.
- Bajwa ZH. Trigeminal neuralgia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 18, 2010.
- Sohur US. Trigeminal neuralgia. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2010. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/183930156-4/0/2088/674.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05609-0..00029-0--sc0175_13740. Accessed Feb. 18, 2010.
- Krafft RM. Trigeminal neuralgia. American Family Physician. 2008;77:1291.
- AAN and EFNS guideline on diagnosing and treating trigeminal neuralgia. St. Paul, Minn.: American Academy of Neurology (AAN). http://www.aafp.org/afp/2009/0601/p1001.html. Accessed Feb. 18, 2010.
- Young RF. Trigeminal neuralgia. In: Rakel RE, et al. Conn's Current Therapy 2008. 60th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6642-2..00014-4--sc0075&uniq=183930156&isbn=978-1-4160-6642-2&sid=954069268#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6642-2..00014-4--sc0075%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-1-4160-6642-2. Accessed Feb. 18, 2010.
- Nerve blocks. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=nerveblock#part_nine. Accessed Feb. 18, 2010.
- Singla A. Trigeminal neuralgia. In: Frontera WR, et al. Essentials of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/184337872-8/955217002/1678/94.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4007-1..50092-4--cesec12_1483. Accessed Feb. 18, 2010.
- Swanson JW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 1, 2010.
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