Did you know that the Bollywood actor, Salman Khan, suffered a painful affliction called trigeminal neuralgia. It is a nerve disorder that is thought to affect one million people worldwide. The chronic condition is known to cause abrupt, searing facial pain. It is especially excruciating in the lower areas of the face, jaw, around nose, ears, eyes or lips.  

Salman Khan was diagnosed with this neuropathic disorder in 2007, battled the same for around four years and then underwent a nerve surgery in the US in 2011.

Let’s learn more about Trigeminal Neuralgia, its causes, symptoms, treatment and more in the article below. Keep reading.

Also Read: All About Amitabh Bachan’s Incurable Illness - Myasthenia Gravis

About Trigeminal Neuralgia 

Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition that causes painful sensations, similar to an electric shock on one side of the face. This chronic pain condition affects the trigeminal nerve, which carries sensation from your face to your brain. Trigeminal neuralgia is also termed as “tic douloureux”.

Causes 

It starts with irritation of the trigeminal nerve. This can occur due to the following conditions:

Diseases- Certain diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, can injure the myelin sheath.

Tumors- Sometimes a tumor or a tangle of arteries presses on the nerve.

Injury- Trigeminal nerves can be injured during surgery, an accident, or a stroke.

 Risk Factors

• AGE- More common in older people.
• GENDER- Women are more likely than men to get trigeminal neuralgia.
• Genetic predisposition
• High blood pressure

Symptoms

• Brief periods of stabbing or shooting pain.
• Pain is triggered by activities such as brushing teeth, washing face, shaving, or putting on makeup. Even a light breeze against your face might set off your pain.
• The pain is mostly felt in the cheek, jaw, teeth, gums, and lips. The eyes and forehead are affected less often.
• Episodes can last a few seconds to several minutes.
• The attacks happen several times a day or a week, followed by periods during which you have no pain at all. These pain-free periods are known as remission.
• The pain usually affects only one side of the face.
• The pain may affect just one part of your face or spread to a wider area.
• Episodes happen more often over time, and the pain can worsen.

Treatment

Treatment includes medical and surgical options, which are as follows:

Medical treatment:

• Anticonvulsant medications
• Muscle relaxants - alone or along with anticonvulsants.
• Tricyclic antidepressant 
• Botox shots (Botulinum toxin injection)

Surgical treatment:

• Gamma knife radiosurgery 
• Balloon compression
• Glycerol shot
• Microvascular decompression
• Neurectomy, in which the trigeminal nerve is partly cut to relieve the pain

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