Neuralgia, << nu RAL juh, >> is a severe pain that occurs along a nerve. Its cause is not known. The pain may be limited to one part of the nerve, or it may extend along the nerve’s branches. It may occur as repeated stabs of pain in the teeth, sinuses, eyes, face, tongue, or throat.
Neuralgia occurs most frequently in two cranial nerves. One nerve, the trigeminal, has three branches that enter the eyes, face, sinuses, and teeth. The other, the glossopharyngeal, leads to the back of the tongue and throat. Neuralgia is sometimes confused with other conditions called neuritis and radiculopathy. But these occur in many different parts of the body. True neuritis is an inflammation that can permanently damage a nerve. Neuralgia does not harm the nerve.
Tic douloureux is a type of neuralgia that is common among older people. The name is French for painful twitching. Tic douloureux affects the trigeminal nerve and causes facial pain. The face muscles may contract each time a stab of pain occurs. The pain occurs very suddenly and then shoots along one side of the face. It usually begins at a specific part of the nerve called the trigger zone. It may then spread along branches of the nerve, but it never involves other nerves. The pain may last a few hours or several weeks. It may then disappear for a few months or years, but it usually returns.
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is a very rare condition. It affects the throat and the back of the tongue.
Temporary relief for both types of neuralgia may be obtained by using drugs, or by numbing the nerve with an injection of alcohol. If the pain does not disappear, the only cure is a surgical operation to remove part of the nerve.
