What is Neuralgia?
Definition Neuralgia is defined as an intense burning or stabbing pain caused by irritation of or damage to a nerve. The pain is usually brief but may be severe. It often feels as if it is shooting along the course of the affected nerve. Description Different types of neuralgia occur depending on the reason the nerve has been irritated. Neuralgia can be triggered by a variety of causes, including tooth decay, eye strain, or shingles (an infection caused by the herpes zoster virus). Pain is usually felt in the part of the body that is supplied by the irritated nerve. Causes and symptoms Neuralgia is caused by irritation or nerve damage from systemic disease, inflammation, infection, and compression or physical irritation of a nerve. The location of the pain depends on the underlying condition that is irritating the nerve or the location of the particular nerve that is being irritated. Neuralgia can result from tooth decay, poor diet, eye strain, nose infections, or exposure to damp and
Neuralgia is a medical condition which results in spasmodic, chronic pain along a single nerve or group of nerves in the head and/or neck. Several main types of neuralgia are identified: trigeminal, postherpetic and occipital. More rarely, a person may be afflicted with glossopharyngeal neuralgia. Treatment depends upon type and cause and varies in success. Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) begins with very painful, sharp spasms on one side of the face. The forehead, eyes, scalp, lips, nose or jaws can be affected, since the trigeminal nerve serves all these places. The trigeminal nerve, located in the cranium, is so named because it has pathways to three different areas of the face: ophthalmic, maxillary and mandibular. Initially, the spasms may occur infrequently, sometimes with several months between paroxysms. Ultimately, the area of pain will become hypersensitive and spasms will occur with greater frequency, until the simplest of activities, like eating or washing the face, may trigger a
Author: Annette Badowski Neuralgia is a general term for nerve pain affecting the peripheral nerves. Neuralgia often results in head and neck pain that is spasmodic, and is an extremely painful disorder that can completely destroy a person’s quality of life. The most common cause of neuralgia is neuritis, an inflammation of the nerves that can be caused by injury. There are several types of neuralgia, namely trigeminal, postherpetic (caused by shingles) and occipital. The nerves affected by neuralgia are usually responsible for sensing touch, temperature and facial pressure. Trigeminal neuralgia, one of the most painful conditions seen in medicine, may cause a great disruption in the lifestyle of the sufferer. However, neuralgia is extremely rare, especially in those under 30. Women are most likely to succumb to neuralgia than men. What are the symptoms of Neuralgia? Neuralgia often affects the face, with symptoms manifesting in episodes of excruciating, electric shock like, or stabbin
Neuralgia is a painful condition caused by damage to the peripheral nervous system. Most sufferers of Neuralgia feel acute pain in a specific part of the body. This pain can range from a steady burning to a pricking or electric shock sensation. Pain Management treatments range from pain relief medications to antidepressants and anticonvulsants to even electrode therapy. Peripheral Neuralgia is often extremely difficult to treat.
