Nancy Lawrence

Trigeminal Neuralgia - The Big Pain in My Face

Trigeminal Neuralgia*: A chronic facial condition that is catagorized as an invisible illness. This condition involves damage to the fifth cranial nerve in the face. It is also known as Tic Douloureux. The Trigeminal Nerve has three branches that go across the face, with multiple little 'fingers' that grow from them. The branches are the Opthalmic which refers to the eyes, upper eyelids, and forehead, the Maxillary referring to the nerves that go through your cheeks, nose, lower eyelids, upper lip, and gums. The mandibular which goes through the lower part of your face that includes the jaw, lower lips, and gums. One or all branches can be involved in the pain reaction signals.