How to Diagnose Trigeminal Neuralgia

The large trigeminal nerve system, known as the fifth cranial nerve, runs along both sides of the face. Trigeminal neuralgia symptoms include intense or sudden facial pain, usually on one side of the face. Sometimes the cause remains unknown, though irritation inside the skull at the nerve usually indicates the neuralgia. To date, there's no single diagnosis to determine trigeminal neuralgia.

Things You'll Need

• Doctor
• Dental history
• Medical history
• Neurological exam
• MRI scan
• CT scan
• Carbamazepine

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Instructions

Diagnosis to Eliminate

• 1

  List recent trips to the dentist or oral surgeon for your doctor. Pain in the teeth, mouth, jaw and face related to teeth extractions, root infections or fillings have similar symptoms.

• 2

  Note any history of facial blisters. These painful conditions usually point to other causes, like shingles or herpes.

• 3

  Think of any recent trauma to head, face or neck. A car accident, bump, muscle pull or other situation may point away from trigeminal neuralgia.

• 4

  Tell your doctor about any history of sinus problems.

• 5

  Let the physician know if you have a history of multiple sclerosis. This disease mimics the conditions of trigeminal neuralgia.

Diagnosis to Confirm

• 6

  Get a neurological examination from a specialist.

• 7

  Obtain a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.

• 8

  Take a computed tomography (CT) scan. Your doctor will set up an appointment for both MRI and CT scans.

• 9

  A physician will often prescribe carbamazepine to see if this drug eliminates the facial pain. Relief signals the potential presence of trigeminal neuralgia.