14 Possible Triggers of Trigeminal Neuralgia

People who suffer from trigeminal neuralgia often describe an excruciatingly painful facial sensation that feels as though they are either being stabbed or electrocuted.

To a person who has never felt the pain, these descriptions may seem a little exaggerated or even over the top, but for many people who suffer from trigeminal neuralgia, they are all too accurate. Typically, the pain affects the lower part of the face and around the nose and above the eye on the affected side of the face.

A person is not usually affected on both sides of the face, however, in rare examples, some patients may experience unilateral symptoms. The cheek, the jaw, and the chin are other sites where a person may experience pain and sore sensations.

There are many possible triggers of trigeminal neuralgia, with some of those triggers seeming to be so insignificant or minor, especially to someone for whom they hold no threat.

1. Touching the Skin

A gentle hand of affection from a lover, an accidental brush past from a stranger, pretty much any kind of skin touch can be a trigger for trigeminal neuralgia, no matter what the intentions or motivation behind it.

There can be few more infuriating things than absent-mindedly scratching your chin, only to be struck by the pain of trigeminal neuralgia only moments later. The number of times that a person touches their face over the course of a day is alarming, which is why germs are so easily spread from one person to another.

Unfortunately, for a person who suffers from trigeminal neuralgia, any kind of touch on the skin can prove instrumental in bringing on the pain. This pain, which can last for up to two minutes, will certainly make someone think twice about touching their face, but as most of this touch is done without the person even realizing, it can be hard to limit it and virtually impossible to stop altogether.