Trigeminal Neuralgia is sometimes misdiagnosed as Cluster Headaches

It has been reported that some patients have been misdiagnosed with Cluster Headaches, when in fact the correct diagnosis in their specific case was Trigeminal Neuralgia.

Treatment for trigeminal neuralgia is mainly through medications to reduce the pain and block the pain signals sent to the brain. For patients who stop responding to these medications, surgery or injections would be the next steps. The diagnosis is made by examining the type and location of the pain.

Always consult your doctor or health professional, and do not self diagnose.

Symptoms can include:

Pain when touching face, pain when chewing or speaking, episodes of severe shooting or jabbing pain, pain with facial spasms, pain affecting one side of the face, attacks increasing in frequency and intensity

Symptoms are a guideline only and may apply to either the diagnosis or the reported misdiagnosis, or both. Consult your specialist for further information.

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