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Neuralgia
Definition:
Neuralgia is pain that follows the path of specific nerves. Alternative Names:
Nerve pain; Postherpetic neuralgia
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Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
The causes of neuralgia are varied. Chemical irritation, inflammation, trauma (including surgery), compression by nearby structures (for instance, tumors), and infections may all lead to neuralgia. In many cases, however, the cause is unknown or unidentifiable. Neuralgia is most common in elderly persons, but it may occur at any age. Trigeminal neuralgia is the most common form of neuralgia. It affects the main sensory nerve of the face, the trigeminal nerve ("trigeminal" literally means "three origins", referring to the division of the nerve into 3 branches). This condition involves sudden and short attacks of severe pain on the side of the face, along the area supplied by the trigeminal nerve on that side. The pain attacks may be severe enough to cause a facial grimace, which is classically referred to as a painful tic (tic douloureux). Sometimes, the cause of trigeminal neuralgia is a blood vessel or small tumor pressing on the nerve. Disorders such as multiple sclerosis (an inflammatory disease affecting the brain and spinal cord), certain forms of arthritis, and diabetes (high blood sugar) may also cause trigeminal neuralgia, but a cause is not always identified. In this condition, certain movements such as chewing, talking, swallowing, or touching an area of the face may trigger a spasm of excruciating pain. A related but rather uncommon neuralgia affects the glosso-pharyngeal nerve, which provides sensation to the throat. Symptoms of this neuralgia are short, shock-like episodes of pain located in the throat.
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