Trigeminal neuralgia is a health disorder that causes pain on one side of the face, which can be felt from the forehead to the chin. However, the most common case is pain from the cheek area down. This disease with symptoms of pain in the face can happen to anyone. However, this disease is generally more common in people over the age of 50 and is more common in women than men.
The most common symptom of trigeminal neuralgia is pain that comes in various forms, such as a sharp or stabbing pain that lasts from a few seconds to about two minutes. These pain attacks can appear regularly for several days to several months, sometimes some persist for years. Such pain is of course very disturbing, reduces the quality of life, and can reduce productivity. However, with proper therapy and management, the symptoms of this disease can be reduced.
Trigeminal neuralgia itself occurs due to disruption of the gasseri ganglion or the knot of the trigeminal nerve which is the fifth nerve of 12 pairs of nerves originating from the brain. These nerves are located on each side of the face and allow a person to feel a variety of sensations on the face. Other causes of trigeminal neuralgia are abnormalities in the brain due to injuries or injuries, the effects of surgical procedures, strokes , tumors pressing on the trigeminal nerve, or trauma experienced to the face. Trigeminal neuralgia can also result from disorders that cause damage to the protective covering of the nerves (myelin), as occurs in the case of multiple sclerosis. In addition, aging can also be one of the causes of trigeminal neuralgia.
Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia
To find out if you have trigeminal neuralgia, you need to do some tests to confirm the diagnosis. The first thing to do is to do a CT scan (imaging with Computerized Tomography ) or MRI (imaging with Magnetic Resonance Imaging) in the head area to see the cause of whether there is pressure by blood vessels or a tumor. However, if the results of these examinations do not indicate the existence of these conditions, then one of the effective therapeutic options that can be done is pain management , especially if the pain complaint cannot be handled with drugs.
After the patient is diagnosed with trigeminal neuralgia, the doctor will determine the course of treatment according to the condition and cause of the patient's condition. Handling is carried out through the guidance of a C-arm, an x-ray device that can be moved by a special needle and can be injected through the face in the cheek area up to the gasserian ganglion . Then the patient can be given drugs directly to the ganglion area. Several types of these drugs, including anticonvulsants, botox injections, and or antispasmodic drugs.
Another option is to do radiofrequency thermocoagulation , which is a treatment that uses radiofrequency (RF) technology on the trigeminal sensory nerve which is the root of retrogasserin, proven to be safe and can relieve pain experienced by patients with long-lasting therapeutic effectiveness. On the other hand, this minimally invasive technology is very easy for doctors to apply and can be done in a relatively short time.
In several studies, radiofrequency therapy is also safe for patients with a very minimal risk of postoperative complications. You can also perform radiofrequency procedures without the need to be hospitalized, so it is very suitable to be used as a therapy referral so you can return to health, avoid pain and #LiveExcellently