Tic Douloureux Symptoms and Causes

Tic douloureux or trigeminal neuralgia is a severe, stabbing pain to one side of the face. It stems from one or more branches of the nerve that supplies sensation to the face, the trigeminal nerve. It is considered one of the most painful conditions to affect people.

SYMPTOMS:

There is sudden darting pain which is severe. This is accompanied by spasms of the muscles of the face, with tingling and burning of the skin. A slight redness and swelling of the affected side will be seen, along with an increased flow of saliva and tears.

The affected nerves and skin become very tender; and movements of the face, speaking, and chewing may provoke violent pain.

CAUSES:

Tic douloureux is a common form of neuralgia. It generally occurs in winter.

There are three divisions of the sensory nerve of the face most likely to be affected. The first is in the eyeball and over the forehead. The second is in the side of the face, the cheekbone, and the upper teeth. The third is inside the mouth and in the lower teeth.

The cause of the problem, according to Natural Remedies Encyclopedia, is chilling of the face over a period of time, when the rest of the body is relatively warm. The formula for trouble is (1) chilling draft to part of the body while the rest is warm (2) over a period of several hours, (3) day after day.