Precautions for patients with trigeminal neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia is a common neurological disease that causes great pain and inconvenience to patients. This article will introduce the relevant knowledge about trigeminal neuralgia in detail, as well as the things that patients should pay attention to in their daily lives, to help patients better cope with and treat this disease.

Trigeminal neuralgia is a type of pain that occurs in the distribution area of ​​the trigeminal nerve on the face. It is cyclical and paroxysmal. It mainly manifests as knife-like, burning-like, and needle-like pain of varying degrees. It lasts for a short time, but the attacks are frequent, seriously affecting the patient's daily life and work. Trigeminal neuralgia can occur in any age group, but the middle-aged and elderly are the main group of patients. The causes of trigeminal neuralgia are relatively complex, mainly including the following aspects:

Vascular compression: Some patients experience pain due to compression of the trigeminal nerve root by intracranial blood vessels.

Intracranial lesions: such as brain tumors, cerebrovascular lesions, etc., compress or stimulate the trigeminal nerve root, causing pain.

Viral infection: Some patients suffer from trigeminal neuralgia due to viral infection.

Genetic factors: Some patients have a family history of genetics and show familial clustering.

The diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia is mainly based on the patient's clinical manifestations such as the location of pain, nature of pain, and duration of pain, as well as auxiliary examination methods such as cranial CT and MRI. Treatment methods include drug therapy and surgical treatment. Drug therapy is mainly based on anti-epileptic drugs, such as carbamazepine, which can effectively relieve pain. Surgical treatment includes microvascular decompression, radiofrequency ablation, etc., which are suitable for patients who are ineffective with drug therapy or cannot tolerate the side effects of drugs.

Precautions for patients with trigeminal neuralgia

Avoid overwork: Overwork may lead to decreased immunity, thus inducing trigeminal neuralgia. Patients should get enough rest and sleep and avoid overwork.

Keep a happy mood: A happy mood can help relieve stress, improve blood circulation, and help alleviate the onset of trigeminal neuralgia. Patients can participate in appropriate sports and recreational activities to keep their mood happy.

Avoid irritants: Irritants may cause trigeminal neuralgia attacks, such as cold, spicy food, tobacco and alcohol. Patients should try to avoid these irritants, choose mild food and drinks, and keep their mouths clean.

Take medication regularly: Patients should take medication regularly under the guidance of doctors and should not increase or decrease the dosage or stop taking medication at will. At the same time, they should go to the hospital for regular review and examination to adjust the dosage of medication in time and monitor changes in the condition.

Pay attention to diet: the diet should be light and easy to digest. Eat more fresh vegetables, fruits and other foods rich in vitamins, avoid spicy, greasy and irritating foods to reduce irritation to the oral mucosa. Also avoid excessive intake of white sugar, which not only has a vitamin content of 0.1, but also requires the participation of vitamin B in sugar metabolism, which makes the already insufficient vitamin B even more deficient.

Improve oral hygiene: Poor oral hygiene may lead to oral infection and inflammation, which may induce or aggravate trigeminal neuralgia. Patients should brush their teeth in the morning and evening, rinse their mouths after meals, and keep their oral cavity clean and hygienic.

7. Avoid drinking strong tea: Drinking too much strong tea can increase the excitability of nerves and cause spasm of small arteries, thereby aggravating trigeminal neuralgia.

Pay attention to changes in the condition: If the pain continues to worsen or other uncomfortable symptoms appear, the patient should seek medical attention in time so that the doctor can adjust the treatment plan according to the specific situation.

Trigeminal neuralgia is a common neurological disease that causes great pain and inconvenience to patients. Patients are advised to actively seek treatment to relieve pain and improve their quality of life.

Liu Xulan