Cases of ‘suicide disease’ go unreported, more awareness needed: doctors

Trigeminal neuralgia means, pain in the region of the trigeminal nerve, or in short, pain on one side of the face and gums. The condition is seen more in between the age group 40 to 60 years due to the elongation of blood vessels. It is known to be more common in females

Many cases of ‘suicide disease’ or ‘trigeminal neuralgia’ go unreported, and undiagnosed due to low awareness about it, said doctors from private hospitals in the city.

Doctors from city-based hospitals noted that the correct diagnosis requires at least three years as the awareness around it is low. (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE)

Trigeminal neuralgia means, pain in the region of the trigeminal nerve, or in short, pain on one side of the face and gums. The condition is seen more in between the age group 40 to 60 years due to the elongation of blood vessels. It is known to be more common in females.

Doctors from city-based hospitals noted that the correct diagnosis requires at least three years as the awareness around it is low. They were talking on the occasion of International Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day, celebrated worldwide on October 7.

Dr Sandeep Borse, neurologist at Jehangir Hospital and Dr Borse Neuro Clinic at Pimple Saudagar, said that the disease is called the suicide disease because the pain is excruciating and unbearable.

“The disease is often misdiagnosed and that leads to more suffering of the patients. The feeling of pain may be like a sudden electric current, suddenly piercing sharp knife in the face, like an electric shock, pricking of multiple sharp needles and a sudden blast of a hot bomb in the face. The intense pain depletes the patient’s morale. That is why some patients commit suicide, becoming tired of pain on one side and medicine side effects on the other side,” said Dr Borse.

Dr Jaydeo Panchawagh, consultant neurosurgeon at Sahyadri Hospitals, said that with blood vessels pressing against the trigeminal nerve, the condition leads to unbearable pain on the face, cheek and one side of the face normally on the upper side of the chin and upwards and backwards till the ear level.

Dr Panchwagh noted that there are at least four cases treated by him every week.

“The worrying characteristics of this disease include excruciating pain like an electric shock or piercing knife or multiple needles or red chilli powder on the face being put etc. The other characteristics include Hemifacial Spasm (HFS). One side of the person’s face appears to be repeatedly contracting. It usually starts in the muscles surrounding the eye. For an observer, it appears as if the person is repeatedly winking with that eye and making gestures. The disease is generally progressive and as the days and months pass by, the spasms appear as soon as the person starts talking,” said Dr Panchwagh.

He added that over the years, experts did a lot of improvements in the treatment procedures and worked on removing the compression with a procedure called microvascular decompression (MVD).

October 7: Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day

About the diseases

Trigeminal neuralgia means, pain in the region of the trigeminal nerve, or in short, pain on one side of the face and gums.

Symptoms

Feeling of pain may be like a sudden electric current, suddenly piercing sharp knife in the face, like an electric shock, pricking of multiple sharp needles and a sudden blast of a hot bomb in the face.

Target

The condition is seen more in between the age group 40 to 60 years due to the elongation of blood vessels. It is known to be more common in females.