While there could be many reasons you could be having facial pain, some of the reasons include dental problems such as tooth decay and bite disorder, neuralgia, earache, eye problems, neck problems, nasal problems, sinus problems and TMJ disorders. This article focuses on the first two on the list: dental problems and neuralgia.
Dental Problems
One in eight Americans suffer from severe and regular headaches that affect their daily lives. While a huge 80% of these headaches are caused by muscle tension, many headaches are caused by having a bad "bite" or simply the way the teeth meet together when the mouth is closed.
Headaches caused by dental problems usually involve the muscles, which can begin to hurt once they become tight for a period of time. The pain can be described as a dull ache that surrounds the head like a band. The pain can also be felt on either one or both sides of the head. In both cases, this headache can be relieved with aspirin.
Symptoms of Headaches Caused by Dental Problems
- Pain behind the eyes
- Tired jaw muscles when waking up in the morning
- Frequent teeth grinding
- Clicking or popping sounds in the jaw
- Tender or painful head and scalp when touched
Facial pain can be a miserable experience, with an intense, piercing or stabbing pain in the face that comes and goes. This pain is commonly felt in the jaw and cheeks, but it can also affect your eye or forehead, though this is far less common. In 97% of cases, only one side of the face is affected, with the first stabbing pain lasting for a few minutes, hours or even days, which is then replaced by a dull, prolonged ache.
The medical term for this is Trigeminal neuralgia or TGN, which means extreme pain from a nerve, in this case, the trigeminal nerve. Each side of the face has a trigeminal nerve that splits into three. These nerves normally take the sensations of touch and pain from the face, teeth and mouth to your brain. While the reason for TGN is not really understood, it is believed the pain is caused by the blood vessels pressing on the nerves.
Women and generally people over 50 are known to be mainly affected with TGN, although on occasion children can have it. During TGN, the face becomes extremely sensitive that even the slightest touch can trigger the pain. Because of this, TGN sufferers often stop washing their face, stop shaving, and even resort to not eating just to avoid triggering the pain.
Treatment
While there are no diagnostic tests for TGN, its symptoms are quite distinctive, so your doctor will realize what it is when you describe it. Over-the-counter painkillers are not able to treat TGN; instead, an anticonvulsant drug similar for treating epilepsy is often used, as it helps to slow down the nerve impulses, eventually reducing the pain. This drug typically takes around two or three days to work. If you suffer constantly from TGN, the best recourse for you may be surgery, which can help relieve the pressure on the trigeminal nerve.
For more help on the prevention, treatment and remedies for migraines please see the Complete Guide To Migraine Headaches.
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