‘Incurable suicide disease’ that causes poor pain

They say laughter is the best medicine – unless it feels like a lightning bolt.

This is the brutal reality for patients of trigeminal neuralgia, a nervous disorder so painful that a cold nickname is acquired: “suicide disease”.

Approximately 15,000 Americans are diagnosed every year, making it one of the leading causes of facial pain in the SH.BA here you need to know about the state that turns everyday moments into full agony.

What is trigeminal neuralgia?

The condition affects the trigeminal nerve, which provides sensations for most of the face and surface of the eye, according to the Mayo Clinic.

When heated, the trigeminal neuralgia gives a severe pain, with a knife that is often described as an electrical shock on one side of the face.

It can be caused by common actions, such as brushing, shaving, applying makeup, chewing, eating, talking, smiling or yellowing. Even a slight breeze can send a patient to an injured world.

“It was the worst pain I ever imagined. It was as if someone would get a hot knife and put a hot electric wire,” Ben Weiskopff, a patient with the condition, in an interview with Medicine UPMC.

“Even to make eye contact with someone was difficult because my eye would be watered and I would have pain spasms,” he added.

Why is trigeminal neuralgia “suicide disease” nicknamed?

The useless pain of trigeminal neuralgia can push the sick to their broken point, significantly affecting the quality of their lives and often leading to severe anxiety, depression and even suicide ideas.

“I stopped going out or even being with friends. I never knew when the pain would hit or how long it would last,” Kristin L. Fletcher, a retired lawyer with Weill Cornell.

“I have a very high threshold for pain, but I even started telling myself (and some close friends) that if the medication failed and the surgeries would not help, I would enter the woods and finish it all,” she added.

It is a tragic thought that many suffers share.

A recent study of 229 adults with trigeminal neuralgia found that suicide thoughts are common shocking. More than a third reported thinking suicide last week, over half had thought about their death, and 14% agreed to consider self-harm.

Causes What causes trigeminal neuralgia?

The pain often comes from a deceptive blood vessel by pressing against the trigeminal nerve at the base of the brain. This constant pressure prevents the nerve from functioning properly, promoting sudden, weak pain, according to the Johns Hopkins drug.

But blood vessels are not the only culprit. Strike, facial trauma – even a routine dental procedure – can cause the storm of pain.

Tumors near the trigeminal nerve or aneurysms that suppress on it can also damage the nerve and increase the risk of developing the condition.

Who is most at risk for trigeminal neuralgia?

Dokush may be affected by trigeminal neuralgia, but the risk of developing the condition increases with age and is more common in people 50 and older. Women are also affected more often than men.

People with multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease affecting the brain and spinal cord, are also at an increased risk for the development of trigeminal neuralgia.

Other factors that may increase your risk of developing trigeminal neuralgia include high blood pressure, smoking and having a biological family history of the condition.

Can you cure trigeminal neuralgia?

Not exactly – but there is hope.

Doctors often begin with medicines that can reduce or block pain signals in the brain, such as antidepressants, antidepressants and muscle relaxants.

For some, this is enough to live a relatively painless life. But when the pills do not shorten it, there are some surgical options available.

Weisiscopff underwent a microvascular decompression procedure – a delicate surgery that separates the nerve from the offensive blood vessel and places a pillow between the two to relieve pressure.

The result? “Not a glow” of pain, he said. “Think of the worst pain ever, and the next day is completely gone.”

Fletcher also did the operation-and she is now painless and outside of all her media.

Other options include stereotactic radiosurgery and percutaneous radiofrequency risotomy.