Neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve

The most striking symptoms of the trigeminal nerve are acute attacks of pain in the face. Feelings are so unpleasant that a person is simply afraid of any contact with his face, even natural ones, as when washing. Why endure such torment? After all, this problem can be quickly and easily get rid of.

The trigeminal nerve belongs to the fifth pair of mixed type cranial nerves. It is represented by 3 branches: the orbital, maxillary and mandibular. The first 2 are responsible for sensitivity, the third - at the same time for sensitivity and mobility. Pain arises not only in violation of the functions, but also under the influence of associated adverse factors. Usually, if pains appear in a particular place, they do not radiate to other areas (the opposite part of the face, cervical, occipital regions, ear, tongue).

Causes of the defeat of the trigeminal nerve

1. Squeezing its branches at the exit of the cranial cavity due to improper passage of the vessels of the brain.
2. Pathological processes occurring in the brain, like tumors and aneurysm.
3. The presence of chronic infections in the facial area.
4. Even a trivial hypothermia can develop into a neuralgic disorder.
5. Development due to age-related changes in the body, accompanied by diseases affecting the myelin sheath of the brain.
6. Trigeminal neuralgia of unexplained etiology.

Symptomatology

The sensitivity of the nerves increases. Sharp pains occur unexpectedly. A person can not normally eat and drink, wash, shave or apply makeup, does not want to talk and smile, it is unpleasant for him to touch his own face. Even exposure to the wind can cause an attack of acute pain with such neuralgia.

All symptoms of damage to the trigeminal nerve are associated with pain. Attacks are usually quite strong, the nature of pain - shooting, stabbing, like an electric discharge. The duration of such attacks may be different, but usually it lasts no more than a few seconds.

They may appear unexpectedly and often, repeat day after day, and may not remind themselves for a while. Depending on which of the branches is affected, pain is observed in the cheeks, jaw, teeth, gums, lips, with rare exceptions also in the eyes and forehead.

Without proper and timely response to the problem, the pain syndrome becomes more frequent, more severe. Often the only solution to get rid of unpleasant feelings is a visit to the dentist. But other therapeutic methods are no less effective in treating trigeminal neuralgia. What to do? Is it possible to undergo treatment of trigeminal neuralgia at home?

Conservative methods

If trigeminal neuralgia is not associated with dental problems, then the first thing the patient will be prescribed is medication. Such treatment can be safely carried out at home, the main purpose of which is to stop the symptoms, restore the function of the nerve. Anesthetics, antivirals, NSAIDs, glucocorticoids, antispasmodics, neuroprotectors, vitamin complexes are used. The patient is also recommended to undergo a course of physiotherapy.

In most cases, this can completely eliminate the neuralgic problem. But, if drug therapy did not have the desired effect - the body stopped responding to medications or side effects appeared - other treatment methods are chosen.

1. Microvascular decompression - surgery to remove or retract a blood vessel, which affects the functionality of the nerve. The operation involves a number of difficulties, as any in the extreme proximity to a vital organ - the brain. Even with successful surgery, the outcome is not always perfect, sometimes the symptoms remain. Nevertheless, microvascular decompression is performed quite successfully in many clinics today and is recognized as quite effective.
2. Glycerol injections (percutaneous glycerol rhizotomy) are used to relieve pain. The injected solution a few hours after the injection partially destroys the trigeminal nerve, blocking pain signals. Among the significant shortcomings of the procedure is the temporary effect - the method is more aimed at eliminating the symptoms than on the treatment as a whole.
3. Operations with gam-knives and linear accelerators are modern innovative methods of invasive surgery.

Often, patients resort to alternative methods, more common in cosmetology:

• acupuncture - to relieve inflammation, eliminate pain, has a decongestant, anti-ischemic effect;
• pharmacopuncture - the same as acupuncture, but with the additional introduction of homeopathic preparations for more rapid relief of pain and inflammation;
• Acupressure - removal of increased muscle tension, improvement of muscle tone, microcirculation and blood supply to the affected area;
• Moxotherapy - the effect on the body of smoldering cigar smoke is used to enhance the protective and restorative properties of the body (immunostimulating and tonic effect);
• phytotherapy.

As we can see, even after treatment, no one is immune from recurrent processes. Not every time to run to the doctor, remove teeth or go under the knife? Is it possible to eliminate the symptoms and treat trigeminal neuralgia with folk remedies?

Nontraditional methods of treatment

Treatment with folk remedies is used to alleviate or completely eliminate many ailments, including trigeminal neuralgia. Some "home remedies" show high efficacy, while others with severe forms help little. Folk such drugs have become due to the fact that the funds find a lot of positive feedback among those who have undergone the course of this therapy.

Many homemade medicines are based on medicinal plants and herbs. They can be collected seasonally or purchased at the pharmacy or from a herbalist. Other recipes use popular foods that can be accurately found in the pantry of any hostess.

• Let's start with herbs. It is necessary to prepare infusions on the root of Althea and chamomile drug. We will insist on plants separately:

- 4 tsp. chopped root pour warm water (250 ml), withstand the night. In the absence of the root, you can use the ground part of the plant, then you need to insist no more than 60 minutes (2 tablespoons per 250 ml of boiling water);

- 1 tsp. chamomile on 250 ml of boiling water.

And take this medicine should be so. We collect in the mouth a little warm infusion of chamomile, keep as long as possible. On a sore spot outside we lay a compress infusion of Althea root, wrapped. This procedure of double exposure should be carried out several times a day and until the pain does not go away at all.

• Garlic, fir oil and other esters. You can buy at the pharmacy. But it is better to use not pure, but alcoholic tincture: 1 tsp. oil to 250 ml of vodka (alcohol). Rub the tool to several times a day in the temporal and frontal part of the face. The course duration is several days, until the pains go away.
• Similarly, black radish juice is used.
• Alcohol tincture on raspberry leaves helps to cope with pain. To therapy had the desired effect, it is recommended to adhere to the course: 3 months and 1 tbsp. l before every meal. Need to take 1 tbsp. leaves from the raspberry bush and 3 tbsp. vodka. To insist it all will be 1.5 weeks.
• A warm groat compress can be applied to the sore spot several times a day (the grits should be lightly fried in a dry frying pan).
• Some helps contrast massage. The procedure is performed in 2 stages. On the first one, we wipe the skin of the face and neck with a piece of ice. At the second stage - massage for warming up. The alternation is repeated a couple of times.

These are not all non-traditional therapeutic and prophylactic ways of dealing with trigeminal neuralgia. Remember, to resort to one or another means should be only after a substantive consultation with a doctor. Also consider the fact that you do not have an allergy to substances from the composition of the medicine.

To suffer pain is to tolerate frustration. And if it still significantly affects the quality of your life, how can this be allowed ?! Neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve is not a sentence! There are a lot of effective solutions; you just need to start acting.