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What are neuralgia?

Neuralgia can be divided into two maincategory, based on what causes pain. Central neuralgia is caused by nerves of the spinal cord or brain, and peripheral nerves, respectively, with the same nerves. Among subspecies neuralgia distinguish neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve and its atypical form, occipital neuralgia, neuralgia of the glossopharyngeal nerve, postherpetic neuralgia and intercostal neuralgia.

Neuralgia is also called pain associated with lumbosacral radiculitis and shoulder plexopathy.

Symptoms and treatment of intercostal neuralgia

Intercostal neuralgia is quite rarea disease in which you feel pain where the intercostal nerves are. Intercostal neuralgia is often associated with various injuries, as well as inflammation of the muscles, cartilage and ligaments of the chest and middle region of the spine. A common cause of intercostal neuralgia is an operation that affects the chest cavity, because during it often the intercostal nerves can be damaged. Intercostal neuralgia also sometimes begins during pregnancy, when the organs rise to the chest to make room for the fetus. The main signs of intercostal neuralgia are pain in the chest. They can be stitching, sharp as a spasm, aching or "gnawing", causing tears. Pain can be along the entire thorax or centered in the back or front of the chest. Sometimes they are felt as if evenly across all the ribs. Pain can be acute sporadic or blunt and persistent. With intercostal neuralgia, pain can increase with physical exertion - lifting weights, twisting and turning the trunk, and also manifesting during coughing or during laughter. Intercostal neuralgia can lead to acute, debilitating pain, making breathing difficult. Treat intercostal neuralgia with injections of anesthetics or corticosteroids around the affected nerve, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that reduce inflammation or pain. Additional methods of treatment can be massage and acupuncture. Correct treatment of the disease can be prescribed only by a doctor who determined the exact cause of the disease.

Symptoms and treatment of postherpetic neuralgia

Postherpetic neuralgia is a frequent complicationafter herpes zoster, caused by the same virus as wind sick pox. It affects the nerve fibers and causes burning pain, itching and numbness, and in especially severe cases - muscle weakness and paralysis if the nerves controlling the facial muscles are affected. For postherpetic neuralgia, treatment has not yet been found, but there are tools that relieve pain, such as capsaicin and lidocaine bandages, anticonvulsants and some antidepressants.

Symptoms and treatment of the occipital neuralgia

Nuchal neuralgia often begins spontaneously,without apparent cause, or are a consequence of pinching of nerve endings in the neck as a result of arthritis. Also to the occipital neuralgia may result in trauma and surgical intervention. Symptoms of the occipital neuralgia are chronic headaches that begin at the top of the neck and spread right up to the auricles. The pain is felt like a piercing or throbbing pain. The skin of the patient's head can become tender and sensitive not only to touch, but also to light. Also, pain can cause simple movements of the neck.

Doctors also warn that occipital neuralgia can cause gout, diabetes, inflammation of blood vessels, tumors.

Occipital neuralgia is treated depending on what causes it. It can be surgical treatment, blockade of nerves, medicines and massage.

Symptoms and treatment of glossopharyngeal neuralgia

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is a rare disease,most often diagnosed in men after 40 years. The causes of it are often unknown, but sometimes this neuralgia is the result of abnormally located arteries compressing the glossopharyngeal nerve. It is very rare, but still it happens that the cause is a brain tumor or neck. Symptoms of glossopharyngeal neuralgia are severe pain in the back of the throat, near the tonsils, the back of the tongue, affecting the ears. This type of neuralgia is treated either surgically, or, if it can not be cured, symptomatically.

Symptoms and treatment of trigeminal neuralgia

Neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve is the most well knownand studied chronic disease. The disorder arises from a violation of the functions of the trigeminal nerve, passing at the base of the skull. Often the problem arises from an artery or vein, which begins to put pressure on the nerve. Also, the causes of this type of neuralgia are multiple sclerosis or similar disorders that damage the myelin sheath of the nerve. Less often neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve causes tumors or lesions of the brain. Symptoms of neuralgia are pain from the simplest everyday activities: chewing or swallowing, stroking the face, brushing your teeth, washing, applying makeup. Often pains arise simply from what you have started talking or smiled, or simply from the fact that a slight breeze blew into your face. Treat neuralgia of the trigeminal nerve, relying on the causes of its appearance. This is a surgical intervention, and drug therapy with anticonvulsant and antispasmodics. Sometimes a procedure like rhizotomy helps with the defeat of the trigeminal neuralgia, in which the surgeon destroys the nerve fibers that cause pain.