{"id":6706,"date":"2019-06-03T03:01:20","date_gmt":"2019-06-03T03:01:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/?p=6706"},"modified":"2021-06-10T15:57:19","modified_gmt":"2021-06-10T15:57:19","slug":"14-possible-triggers-of-trigeminal-neuralgia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/14-possible-triggers-of-trigeminal-neuralgia\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Possible Triggers of Trigeminal Neuralgia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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People who suffer from trigeminal neuralgia often describe an excruciatingly painful facial sensation that feels as though they are either being stabbed or electrocuted. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To a person who has never felt the pain, these descriptions may seem a little exaggerated or even over the top, but for many people who suffer from trigeminal neuralgia, they are all too accurate. Typically, the pain affects the lower part of the face and around the nose and above the eye on the affected side of the face. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person is not usually affected on both sides of the face, however, in rare examples, some patients may experience unilateral symptoms. The cheek, the jaw, and the chin are other sites where a person may experience pain and sore sensations. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many possible triggers of trigeminal neuralgia, with some of those triggers seeming to be so insignificant or minor, especially to someone for whom they hold no threat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Touching the Skin <\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A gentle hand of affection from a lover, an accidental brush past from a stranger, pretty much any kind of skin touch can be a trigger for trigeminal neuralgia, no matter what the intentions or motivation behind it. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There can be few more infuriating things than absent-mindedly scratching your chin, only to be struck by the pain of trigeminal neuralgia only moments later. The number of times that a person touches their face over the course of a day is alarming, which is why germs are so easily spread from one person to another. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, for a person who suffers from trigeminal neuralgia<\/a>, any kind of touch on the skin can prove instrumental in bringing on the pain. This pain, which can last for up to two minutes, will certainly make someone think twice about touching their face, but as most of this touch is done without the person even realizing, it can be hard to limit it and virtually impossible to stop altogether.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Washing<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you were one of those kids who grew up with their parents having to constantly remind them of the need to wash, this potential trigger of trigeminal neuralgia might not concern you too much, as you can pretty much get away without washing your face justifiably. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All jokes aside, a person who finds their symptoms and pain to be triggered by washing will probably have to change the way in which they wash their face or change the products they use for this process. Every step of the face washing process is potentially problematic, from the application of water, whether it\u2019s cold or hot, to the scrubbing and wiping actions of removing dirt, right through to exfoliation<\/a>, which can actually be the biggest potential trigger found in the whole washing process. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, simply not washing just really isn\u2019t an option for the vast majority of people, thankfully, but if it\u2019s washing that triggers your trigeminal neuralgia, you simply have to work out what type of washing you can get away with.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Shaving<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Shaving is another part of the self-care and grooming process which can cause trigeminal neuralgia to be triggered. The irritation <\/a>of the skin during shaving is a highly exaggerated form of some of the lighter triggers, such as gentle touching, but a person can find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place when trying to avoid this trigger. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the one hand, a person may decide not to shave because they know full well that the contact of the razor with the skin will trigger their trigeminal neuralgia, but on the other hand, a person who allows their facial hair to grow may find that the touch of the bristly facial hair on the skin provides another source of irritation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Someone who has a particularly fast-growing beard can find themselves with a bit of a headache in this scenario, whether to shave regularly and keep irritating the skin or whether to allow the facial hair to grow and to try and deal with the irritation that this brings.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Brushing the Teeth<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Again this is something that no one in their right mind is going to stop doing, as it is an essential part of the personal hygiene <\/a>process, but brushing your teeth can be a trigger for trigeminal neuralgia as well. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bristles brushing up against sensitive parts inside the mouth such as the gums and the insides of the lips can cause irritation, which ultimately leads to the onset of symptoms and that telltale excruciating pain. It\u2019s a toss-up in this scenario for many people between clean teeth, fresh breath, and trigeminal neuralgia pain, or a pain-free day but with stinky breath. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a tough choice to have to make, though when you\u2019ve lived through several episodes of bad trigeminal neuralgia pain, it\u2019s more than likely that you\u2019ll end up tolerating the bad breath for a few days! This is by no means intended to be an excuse for anyone to stop brushing their teeth!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Blowing the Nose<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Walking around with a bunged up nose can be the result of suffering from a common cold or the flu. It can also be a sign that an allergic reaction is at play. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For some people though, a blocked nose might just be a sign that they are trying their absolute hardest to avoid blowing their nose, through the fear that it could trigger their trigeminal neuralgia. Blowing the nose is another possible trigger for the symptoms and the pain that sufferers want to try and avoid, if at all possible. If blowing your nose is the likely cause of the trigeminal neuralgia symptoms and pain, you have to find a different way of addressing the blocked nose. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the counter decongestants<\/a>, anti-inflammatory tablets and some home remedies may be fairly effective in reducing the amount of snot and mucus that a person produces, which can ultimately lower the number of times they\u2019ll need to actually blow their nose.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Hot or Cold Beverages<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Just as hot or cold sources provided by the weather or external factors can trigger trigeminal neuralgia, so too can hot or cold beverages <\/a>be to blame. It really doesn\u2019t matter what your hot or cold drink of choice is, if it’s going to set of trigeminal neuralgia, it doesn’t care about your preferences. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usually, when a hot or cold beverage is to blame, it sneaks up on people from out of nowhere and it can take a fair bit of detective work to actually establish the drink as the culprit. When it comes to managing trigeminal neuralgia, knowing your triggers is just as important as knowing your enemies in war. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, this is always a lot easier said than done, but once you have invested time and energy into establishing which hot and cold drinks could be behind your triggers, life starts to get a little bit easier and you may even be able to enjoy beverages at room temperature! Who knows?!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Smiling<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As if suffering from trigeminal neuralgia wasn\u2019t enough to make you feel sad in the first place, it can be pretty devastating to learn that the simple act of smiling can also be identified as a potential trigger. The act of smiling is a beautiful and perfectly natural way of expressing a range of emotions. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happiness is expressed with a smile, just as nervousness can be, but the truth is that the emotion behind the smile really doesn\u2019t matter at all. The muscles <\/a>that contract and relax as we smile and then stop smiling, all have a sort of chain reaction on the face, which has been known to trigger trigeminal neuralgia. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

People who don\u2019t smile very often are sometimes referred to as a bit grumpy or a bit too serious. When those people are suffering from trigeminal neuralgia, you can bet your bottom dollar that they are very grumpy and very serious indeed.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Talking<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Everyone knows that when you have an illness or an injury <\/a>of any kind, opening up and talking about it can be just as vital a part of the healing process as the conclusion of any visible symptom is. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cruel thing about trigeminal neuralgia is that it can prevent a person from being able to talk as much as they\u2019d like about a subject, given that the action of talking can be a possible trigger too. Just when you really need to offload your grumbles or to have a good gossip to cheer yourself up, the severe pain of trigeminal neuralgia can throw itself in the way and stop you in your tracks, before you\u2019re even ready to finish talking. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So that\u2019s 8 possible triggers for trigeminal neuralgia symptoms we\u2019ve taken a look at, and potentially 8 things that every person in the world would struggle to limit or stop.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Applying Facial Makeup or Moisturizing Lotion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The symptoms associated with severe trigeminal nerve <\/a>pain can strike at any moment, but you are more likely to develop an attack of the disorder by touching your face. While activists are making ground in the fight for gender equality, it seems that some aspects of our society still live in the past.
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Societies standards about what a woman should look like, and how she should present herself to others in public still suffers from stereotypes and scapegoats. As a result, women rely on makeup and cosmetic products to improve their presentation to others.
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Unfortunately, women who are living with the effects of trigeminal nerve pain still have to apply makeup when they leave for work in the morning, and before attending social events. The simple act of applying blush to your cheeks may induce an attack of trigeminal nerve pain. As a result, many women with this nerve disorder start their day with symptoms of severe discomfort, rather than a smile.
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10. Wind on the Face
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Patients who are suffering from the effects of trigeminal nerve pain may experience an onset of an attack by facing the wrong way in the wind. The trigeminal nerve is susceptible to any changes in pressure or temperature on the surface of the skin<\/a>. As a result, something as silly as a strong gust of wind on the face may induce an attack.
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The air temperature also plays a significant role in this form of an attack. Those patients in cold climates that feel the cold wind on their face may notice an exacerbation in their symptoms compared to the effects of warmer weather and wind.
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Standing on the observation deck of a tall building, or standing outside on a ferry boat, where wind conditions are high \u2013 is asking for trouble if you suffer from trigeminal nerve pain. If you suffer from the nerve disorder, and you have to go outside in the wind, consider wearing a scarf or balaclava to protect your face from the wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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11. Eating<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Patients with trigeminal nerve pain may experience the onset of an attack at any moment. One of the most common causes of an outbreak <\/a>occurs while eating. When we eat, we use the muscles in our face to chew our food. As a result, the muscular activity may place pressure on the nerve, resulting in symptoms of pain.
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Eating some foods may exacerbate symptoms more than others. Chewing on a tough piece of steak is far more likely to induce the condition when compared to eating soft foods like sauerkraut or applesauce. If you feel the onset of an attack, its best to avoid eating and fast.
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Recent research shows that fasting has a regenerative effect on the body, helping to reduce systemic inflammation that may be responsible for the onset of trigeminal nerve pain. Consider changing your diet to avoid all refined carbohydrates and sugar. These changes reduce systemic inflammation, reducing the intensity, duration, and frequency of attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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12. Diagnosis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

During the first trigeminal nerve attack, patients experience severe pain in the sides and front of the face. An initial attack is a scary experience, and many people will write it off as a freak occurrence. However, when the symptoms of pain strike for the second time, most people realize they have a health issue, and seek a diagnosis <\/a>from their doctor.
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It\u2019s reasonably easy for doctors to diagnose trigeminal nerve pain, as there are not very many other conditions that cause similar symptoms. Doctors will ask the patient a series of questions to identify the severity of the symptoms, as well as the patient\u2019s history with the disorder.
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Your doctor will ask questions to uncover the cause of your condition and look for reasons as to why the disorder manifested. Your physician will run a neurological examination to check for a reflex response to a nerve stimulus. After doctors rule out other possibilities and diagnose the patient with TNP, they may discuss the treatment options available with the patient.
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13. Medications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first method of treatment prescribed by your doctor will involve medications to help you manage your symptoms during an attack. Doctors may recommend the use of painkillers <\/a>and anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce the pain signals from the nerve to the brain.
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Unfortunately, it may take medications some time to work in the body, and you can expect a delay of anything up to 45-minutes before you feel the pain-reducing effect of the medicine. This delay does not help patients with severe trigeminal nerve pain, as 45-minutes of excruciating pain, can feel like a lifetime.
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Doctors also prescribe anti-consultants to help reduce the frequency and duration of attacks. Doctors recommend that the patient use a daily dose of the medication to avoid the onset of the condition. Anti-consultants may also cause side effects of drowsiness and nausea in some patients, and they may begin to lose their efficiency in reducing symptoms with regular use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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14. Surgery Options<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When patients no longer respond to medication for their symptoms, or they notice a significant decline in the effectiveness of the medication prescribed for the condition, they may require surgery to stop the attacks.
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The most common method of surgery used in the correction of the condition is known as \u201cMicrovascular decompression.\u201d This medical procedure involves removing or relocating blood vessels<\/a> that are coming in contact with the root of the nerve, preventing the nerve from inducing an attack. The surgeon makes a small incision behind the ear on the affected side of the face. They use scopes to remove or relocate the blood vessels.
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Gamma knife surgery, also known as \u201cbrain stereotactic radiosurgery,\u201d uses a directed source of radiation on the root of the nerve to reduce its sensitivity. Patients who undergo gamma knife surgery experience slow relief from their symptoms over the course of a month. Should the pain keep recurring, the patient may require multiple rounds of the surgery to eliminate the pain.
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