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What are the symptoms of neuralgia? |
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The episodes of pain occur paroxysmally, or suddenly.
A number of patients develop TN after a root canal and may go repeatedly to dentists as the pain can radiate through the teeth. Extractions do not help for the pain is originating in the trigeminal nerve and not in an individual nerve of a tooth. Because of this difficulty, many patients may go untreated for long periods of time before a correct diagnosis is made.
To describe the pain sensation, patients describe a trigger area on the face, so sensitive that touching or even air currents can trigger an episode of pain.
LifestyleIt affects lifestyle as it can be triggered by common activities in a patient's daily life, such as toothbrushing. Breezes, whether cold or warm, wintry weather or even light touching such as a kiss can set off an attack. The attacks are said to feel like stabbing electric shocks or shooting pain that becomes unbearable. Individual attacks affect one side of the face at a time, last several seconds or longer, and repeats up to hundreds of times throughout the day, or may go on for periods as long as several months or years. 3-5% of cases are bilateral, and attacks may increase in frequency or severity over time.
A great many patients develop the pain in one branch, then over years the pain will travel through the other nerve branches. |
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