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Types of Neuralgia


There are different types of neuralgia that affect different parts of the body. These include:

  • Trigeminal Neuralgia: This is the most common type of neuralgia and affects the face, cheeks, and jaw. The trigeminal nerve connects these parts of the face to the central nervous system and when affected with neuralgia can cause shooting pain on one or both sides of the face. Trigeminal neuralgia can cause facial muscle spasms and make simple everyday tasks like brushing your teeth or shaving very painful. Trigeminal neuralgia is most common among women over the age of fifty.
  • Occipital Neuralgia: The occipital nerve runs from the back of the skull and can cause headaches or a dull, throbbing pain at the back of the head when affected. Occipital neuralgia may be caused by inflammation of the nerve, viral infections or previous trauma or injury to the back of the head.
  • Facial Neuralgia: This type of neuralgia affects the cranial nerves and can cause mild to severe pain in the facial muscles and inside the mouth.
  • Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia: People with this type of neuralgia suffer from excruciating pain in the base of the tongue or pharynx. This pain may even extend up to the jaw, ears, and neck.
  • Postherpetic Neuralgia: Older people with low immunity are most vulnerable to this type of neuralgia. Nearly 75% of patients of postherpetic neuralgia are over 75 years. This type of neuralgia often occurs after an attack of shingles caused by the herpes virus.

Neuralgia
Causes
References
  1. Ann Berger, Marie Henderson, Wolffe Nadoolman, Valerie Duffy, Dennis Cooper, Lloyd Saberski, Linda Bartoshuk, Oral capsaicin provides temporary relief for oral mucositis pain secondary to chemotherapy/radiation therapy, Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, Volume 10, Issue 3, April 1995, Pages 243-248, ISSN 0885-3924, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0885-3924(94)00130-D.