Trigeminal neuritis: symptoms, causes and treatment of inflammation

What is the trigeminal nerve

The human face has many muscles and nerve endings. Not only the mucous membranes of the nose, pharynx, and conjunctiva, but also the nerve endings can become inflamed. This is most often associated with neurological disorders that change the sensitivity of the fibers that conduct impulses.

With neuropathy of the facial area, acute shooting pain occurs on the right or left. Mirror inflammation of the trigeminal nerve is extremely rare. It is located in the temporal region, near the base of the auricle. And from it there are branches along the entire half of the face:

• jaw nerve (upper and lower);
• optic nerve;
• infraorbital nerve.

The trigeminal nerve passes through the bone tissue in several places, which plays an important role in the occurrence of inflammation associated with pinching. Thus, inflammation of the trigeminal nerve can result in acute pain both in the upper and lower jaw, and in the forehead area, covering the eye sockets.

If treatment does not bring results. Synkinesia and facial contracture

Facial symmetry returns in an average of 3 months. If your treatment has not brought results, facial asymmetry persists, pain or other symptoms appear, you should immediately clarify the cause of the dysfunction of the facial nerve. The location and cause of the nerve injury may not have been recognized and treatment was prescribed blindly. Perhaps little attention was paid to restorative procedures.

Facial synkinesis is a condition when, for example, closing the eye is accompanied by movement of the mouth and cheek, and smiling is accompanied by closing the eye, etc. Synkinesis occurs more often in cases of long-term, chronic disease of the facial nerve. Most often in these cases we find a chronic inflammatory process in the area of ​​the nerve bed.

The most problematic complication of facial paralysis is contracture, i.e. cicatricial degeneration of facial muscles. The result of contracture is loss of elasticity and immobilization of the facial muscles, even after the function of the facial nerve itself has been restored. Contracture appears as a result of prolonged untreated paralysis of the facial muscles and/or as a result of inadequate recovery procedures (insufficient intensity of exercise or, conversely, excessive stimulation of the facial muscles). Facial contracture is partially reversible. We usually use local injections of the anti-scar drug Longidaza: we inject it with a very thin needle directly into the area of ​​scarring of the facial muscles.

Causes of inflammation of the trigeminal nerve

There are several reasons leading to inflammation of the nerve ducts:

• Poor blood supply associated with physical compression of the nerve. First of all, this is swelling caused by diseases of the ENT organs. The resulting tumor can also pinch the nerves.
• Inflammation associated with dentistry. This includes gingivitis, periodontitis, caries, pulpitis, and eruption of wisdom teeth. Each of these diseases can lead to suppuration, abscesses, swelling and bacterial infections of tissues.
• Medical error by an anesthesiologist - if the injection was given unsuccessfully and the needle got into a nerve, pain cannot be avoided.
• Hypothermia causes muscles to lose their elasticity, which leads to pinching of the nerves passing between the fibers.
• Bacterial infections, in particular tetanus and polio.
• The cause of inflammation of the trigeminal nerve, which is difficult to diagnose, is the psychological state of a person - frequent experiences, stress, and nervous disorders.

To determine the cause of inflammation, you need to consult a specialist.

Restore the functioning of the facial nerve: the sooner, the more completely

The sooner the cause of death of nerve fibers is eliminated, the faster the restoration of facial muscles will occur. Modern diagnostic methods almost always make it possible to find out the cause of the suffering of the facial nerve. We will perform almost any necessary examination.

Simply stimulating the regeneration of the facial nerve is risky: facial symmetry may not be restored, facial contracture and synkinesis are possible. Finding and, if possible, eliminating the cause of nerve death is a condition for successful treatment .

Most often, we find one of four causes of facial paresis:

1. Neuritis – inflammation of the facial nerve (usually involving viruses);
2. Insufficient blood supply to the facial nerve or its brain centers (nuclei);
3. Compression of the facial nerve in its bony canal (tumor, edema or injury to the temporal bone);
4. Injury to the nerve or its brain centers.

Treatment of the facial nerve should be aimed at eliminating the cause of its suffering . Methods:

• In case of inflammation and swelling of the facial nerve, it swells and compresses itself in its narrow bony canal, and then dies from compression. This is precisely what is a common cause of facial paralysis. Therefore, in the acute period, we perform powerful anti-edematous treatment . Medicines can be prescribed orally, intravenously, or in the form of local blockades.
• Antiviral treatment and restoration of the immune system will help stop the destruction of the nerve when it is inflamed.
• The damaged area of ​​the nerve needs building material for restoration. We will select medications that promote the supply of blood and nutrients to the nerve and its centers in the brain stem.
• Treatment by an ENT doctor if necessary (purulent or sluggish inflammatory process in the tonsils or ear, with damage to the nearby facial nerve).

For the most complete restoration of the facial nerve, it is very important to perform facial gymnastics and massage. Gymnastics and facial massage are needed daily. We will teach you to perform them yourself.

Treatment methods

Depending on what caused the inflammation, a course of treatment is prescribed. For bacterial lesions, the emphasis is on antibacterial therapy through systemic administration of drugs.

However, regardless of the reasons, the doctor prescribes painkillers to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. It could be:

• ibuprofen;
• paracetamol;
• analgin;
• ketorol;
• diclofenac.

All of the listed drugs can be prescribed either in the form of tablets for oral administration, or prescribed in the form of solutions for intramuscular administration.

When conservative methods are not possible, the help of a surgeon may be needed. This primarily concerns abscesses due to the eruption of wisdom teeth, pulpitis or other dental diseases. In this case, the abscess will be opened, pus will be removed, the wound will be treated with antiseptic, and the tooth will be removed, if necessary. If a pinched nerve occurs as a result of pathologies in the structure of the skull, the surgeon will perform an operation to correct the situation and free the nerve bundles.

As a complex therapy, massage, heating or exposure to a magnetic field and electric current can be prescribed. You cannot massage or warm the inflamed area yourself, because this can lead to complications associated with rupture of the purulent capsule, blood poisoning and paralysis of the facial nerve.

Separately, you may need to consult a neurologist who will determine the cause of the inflammation if other specialists have not found obvious foci of infection and abscesses.

Traditional methods of treatment are permissible only as an addition to the main therapy. For example, rinsing with chamomile decoction will relieve inflammation and reduce swelling. But you can resort to such procedures only with the permission of the attending physician.

Treatment of the facial nerve at the Echinacea clinic

The treatment will be structured like this:

1. Find and eliminate the factor that damaged the nerve (viruses, for example);
2. Stimulate nerve regeneration.

If you neglect the first point, the chances of restoring the nerve are reduced, and the risk of facial contracture increases. The average duration of treatment is 2 months; you can complete most of the course at home on your own.

The planned result is restoration of the functioning of the facial muscles. Possible difficulties are advanced disease, significant narrowing of the facial nerve canal, damage to the myelin sheath of the nerve, leading to the appearance of a nervous tic of the eye, which to some extent complicates the treatment process. Read more about the causes and treatment of nervous tics.

Possible complications

Doctors call facial paralysis the first complication that appears in the absence of adequate treatment. This means that a person who does not receive medical care in a timely manner is deprived of the opportunity to express his emotions through facial expressions on one side of his face. This condition can no longer be corrected, which will certainly affect the quality of life. Distortion of facial expressions will lead to the development of depression and constant dissatisfaction with one’s appearance. Not every patient can come to terms with irreversible changes in their appearance without deep distress.

One of the most unpleasant manifestations of paralysis is the inability to close the eyelids on the injured side of the face. In this case, the eye will have to be regularly instilled with artificial tears to prevent the cornea from drying out, since natural hydration through blinking becomes unavailable for this eye.

Reasons for development

Facial nerve neuropathy can develop for the following reasons:

• progression of herpes, polio, mumps, enterovirus;
• hormonal imbalances (the disease appears especially often in the first half of pregnancy);
• tooth infections;
• sudden and severe hypothermia;
• injuries of the skull and jaws;
• sinusitis, otitis;
• diabetes;
• poor circulation in the blood vessels of the face;
• multiple sclerosis.

Most often, the disease in question develops when the facial nerve is cold - a short stay in a draft is enough for the inflammatory process to begin its progression.

Prevention of inflammation

To prevent the risk of developing inflammation of the trigeminal nerve, it is recommended to follow a number of measures:

• monitor oral hygiene and consult a dentist in a timely manner;
• do not stay in the cold for a long time or protect your face from freezing with a scarf;
• do not self-medicate otitis media.

At the first manifestations of pain on the face, you should immediately consult a doctor. This will stop the development of inflammation. In addition, early diagnosis allows for conservative treatment methods.

Neuralgia of the facial nerve

Neuralgia is a pain syndrome. The diagnosis of “facial neuralgia” is usually made incorrectly instead of the diagnosis of “trigeminal neuralgia”. The facial nerve contains only motor nerve fibers and does not transmit sensory impulses. Therefore, neuralgia, i.e. There is no pain in the facial nerve system. The facial nerve transmits commands from the brain to the facial muscles, and the symptoms of its suffering are weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles (facial nerve paresis).

Read more about trigeminal neuralgia

Medicines

Ledocaine, Ketanov, Indomethacin - first aid against pain from an inflamed tooth nerve.
You can name several of the most popular medications that are used as an anesthetic for inflammation of the dental nerve:

1. Ledocaine is a very well-known local anesthetic used in various fields of medicine. To anesthetize the inflamed nerve, apply the drug (gel) to a cotton swab and apply to the affected area for fifteen minutes. If you bought the drug in the form of a spray, then spray about 20 mg on the aching tooth, repeat the procedure every hour and a half, the maximum dose per day is 20 procedures. Before starting treatment with Ledocaine, read the instructions, especially the “Contraindications” section.
2. Ketanov , usually widely used in tablet form. Do not exceed the daily dose of 5 pcs. and do not take the drug for more than one week. The greatest effect is when taken before meals. Much superior to the usual Analgin and Indomethacin. The action lasts up to eight hours. There are a number of contraindications.
3. Indomethacin is a good pain reliever, taken three times a day; if the effect is not sufficiently pronounced, the dose can be increased to 50 mg. It is better to use after meals and wash down with milk. With prolonged use, exacerbations of chronic diseases are possible. It is advisable to read the instructions carefully before use.

All these drugs will help relieve attacks of severe pain, but do not forget that only a visit to the dental office can relieve you of the disease itself and help avoid possible complications.
Moscow metro station Zvezdnaya, Danube Avenue, 23

The tooth does not hurt, but the cheek is swollen - the causes of the pathological condition

Very often, swelling is a consequence of an allergy to materials used for filling, prosthetics and treatment of dental units. In addition, the clinical situation may be associated with the body's reaction to food, pollen, dust or pet hair. In this case, the swelling does not have a clear localization and can spread to the area of ​​the nose, lips and eyes. .

It should be understood that after the removal of a tooth, nerve or dissection of the gum, swelling and pain are considered normal and can persist for a week after the intervention. You should also exclude respiratory and viral pathologies accompanied by enlarged submandibular lymph nodes (mumps, pharyngitis), high body temperature, and chills.

Another reason is bruises and injuries to the face; in addition, the cheek may swell due to neurological disorders, for example, inflammation of the nerve. The problem is indicated by pain in the throat and parotid region, hearing impairment, facial expressions and diction.

The appointment includes consultation and drawing up a treatment plan with cost determination

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