Facial Pain

Facial Pain is a result of some malfunction in the Trigmeninal Nerve. Each trigeminal nerve splits into three branches, controlling the feeling for different parts of the face. These are:

• The ophthalmic branch. It controls the eye, upper eyelid, and forehead.
• The maxillary branch. This controls the lower eyelid, cheek, nostril, upper lip, and upper gum.
• The mandibular branch. This runs the jaw, lower lip, lower gum, and some muscles used for chewing.

The disorder can affect any of the three nerve branches, meaning that one can feel pain from the forehead to the jaw. Usually, pain is felt on only one side of the face. Some people feel it on both sides. When that happens, it is called bilateral trigeminal neuralgia.

Treatment for this condition may include medication and surgery.

Typical pain medications don’t work well for people with trigeminal neuralgia, but your doctor may prescribe different types of drugs:

• To keep the nerves from reacting to irritation, you may take anticonvulsant medications.
• One may take muscle relaxants -- alone or along with anticonvulsants.
• Your doctor may suggest a tricyclic "antidepressant"to manage your symptoms.
• Research suggests that BOTOX shots may be helpful when other medication doesn’t relieve trigeminal neuralgia pain. 
• Surgery: https://mayocl.in/3RUYwWT

Author

Paddy Kalish OD, JD and B.Arch