The Treatment, Causes and Triggers of Trigeminal Neuralgia
The exact cause of trigeminal neuralgia is not clearly understood but there are certain factors that can trigger the onset of trigeminal neuralgia. These are as follows:
01 Compression:
Abnormal compression of the nerve by an adjacent blood vessel in the brain
02 Demyelination:
Demyelination of the nerve that occurs as a result of nerve root injury
03 Nerve damage:
Physical damage to the nerve caused by dental or surgical procedures
04 Genetic tendency:
When we say genetic, it does not mean that every patient of TN has someone in the family having TN. Actually, they're supposed to be a group of genes that are inherited and they evolve in a certain way when supported by other factors, leading to having TN. Only a little understanding is achieved in this area, yet.
05 Stress & Trigeminal Neuralgia
Psychological stress is one of the triggerings and aggravating factors if not primarily causative factors. It is a well-known fact that there is an inseparable bond between mind and body and that the psyche plays a vital role in maintaining health or causing diseases. It is a common experience in clinical practice that some patients report the onset of trigeminal neuralgia following major stressful events like divorce, the death of close relatives, change of job, unhealthy family relationships, etc and this perception of patients that psychological stress can worsen trigeminal neuralgia has been supported in clinical studies. It is a common experience of many patients to have sudden pain when they are emotionally charged.
Stress has been identified as an important cause in triggering as well as maintaining trigeminal neuralgia, especially in chronic cases. Stress can be in the form of:
- Prolonged anxiety due to any cause
- Grief, depression
- Suppressed anger/emotions
- Guilt
- Frustrations
- Despair
- Disappointments in life
- Nervous temperament
- Failures in business, etc.
Frustration due to the unexplainable nature of the disease only makes the matters worse for the patient. Not all cases have a clear-cut cause and in many cases, the cause may remain obscure i.e. idiopathic.
06 Tumor and Multiple Sclerosis
Trigeminal Neuralgia pain caused due to the tumor is called secondary trigeminal neuralgia. Multiple sclerosis hardly contributes as the factor for causing Trigeminal Neuralgia.
07 Immunological factors:
Certain immunological parameters are found to be affecting TN in different ways. Immunity is now considered to be an important factor for pain and TN. Also, immunity is controlled and affected by emotional (stress) factors as well as genetic factors.
Multiple Causes of Trigeminal Neuralgia:
It has been observed that TN often is backed by more than one cause. As one can see, immunological causes are supported by stress and genetic factors; suggesting the causative factors work in a chain and are interconnected.
Factors governing Pain and seizure threshold:
Episodes of trigeminal neuralgia increase when the patient's pain threshold gets lowered. The pain threshold is affected by several known and unknown factors, some of them are:
- Stress
- Exposure to cold wind
- Brain trauma
- Inadequate sleep
- Poisoning with lead or other chemicals
- Hormonal fluctuation before and after the menses
- Hyperglycemia (High blood sugar)
- Certain antibiotics and anesthetic agents
Ectopic action potential generation in the sensory root of the nerve may be responsible for the typical, episodic, electric, lancinating pain of TN.
Homeopathic treatment for Trigeminal Neuralgia: Homeopathy addresses multiple causes and factors while deciding on the treatment.
Click to see an animation on Trigeminal Neuralgia
Written & Approved by-
Dr. Rajesh Shah
M.D. (Hom.)