Question

A 58-year-old woman comes to the clinic for evaluation of a sharp, intermittent, severe, stabbing facial pain that she describes as, "like an electric shock." the pain occurs only on one side of her face; it seems to be triggered when she chews, brushes her teeth, or sometimes when she merely touches her face. there is no numbness associated with the pain. what is most likely causing her pain?

Answer 1

It is Trigeminal neuralgia, a very excruciating chronic pain condition affecting the trigeminal nerve. When one does something like chew or brush their teeth, it may trigger an excruciating jolt of pain that goes from the face to the brain. It affects women more than men and usually affects people over 50 years of age.