Neuralgia and Other Serious Stuff

person holding silver blister pack
person holding silver blister pack

What is Neuralgia?

Neuralgia (nerve pain) is a type of pain that occurs along the path of a nerve. It is typically triggered by irritation or inflammation of the nerves.

Nerves are very sensitive organs in your body. While the pain can be severe or light, neuralgia oftentimes feels different than other types of pain in the body. Neuralgia could feel like a shooting, stabbing or burning pain, or a sharp and sudden pain like an electric shock. But for some, neuralgia could be dull, light but persistently irritating. You may be very sensitive to touch. You may also experience pain as a result what would not normally be painful, such as something lightly brushing your skin.

Neuralgia could worsen at night, or when you are sitting still and focused on something. Neuralgia could interfere with important parts of your life such as sleep, sex, work and exercise. People with neuralgia may become angry and frustrated, and may have anxiety and depression.

What are the Different Types of Neuralgia around the Head?

Nerve pain around the head, or facial areas, could be due to Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN), or Occipital Neuralgia (ON).

Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN): TN comes from the trigeminal nerve, which starts near the top of the ear and splits in three directions: toward the eye, the cheek and the jaw. We have two trigeminal nerves on each side of our face, but TN oftentimes affects only one side.

Occipital Neuralgia (ON): ON occurs along the occipital nerve, which runs from the top of your spine to your scalp. ON may occur spontaneously, or as the result of a pinched nerve root in the neck. ON oftentimes feels like recurring pain on the back of the head, upper neck and behind the ears or eyes.

Other types of neuralgia are possible. Other types of neuralgia include: Postherpetic Neuralgia (pain that is an aftermath from a bout of shingles), Auriculotemporal Neuralgia, Supraorbital Neuralgia, Supratrochlear Neuralgia which occur along the respective nerves. Other forms of headaches could include Paroxysmal Hemicrania, SUNCT, SUNA. Consult medical professionals on your specific conditions.

What Could Trigger Neuralgia and How Could I Avoid it?

Wearing eyeglasses or sunglasses could be a trigger for neuralgia. Because the face and the head are covered with complex nerves, wearing eyeglasses or sunglasses could potentially cause irritation or damages to the nerves and trigger Trigeminal Neuralgia or Occipital Neuralgia.

If you have to wear eyeglasses for work or driving for long hours, one way you can potentially avoid neuralgia triggers, is reducing the pressure that your eyeglasses put on your face or head. The skin areas behind and above your ears are especially sensitive. One way to relieve the pressure that your eyeglasses put on you is by putting SoftTemple™ Ear Cushion Socks on the temples of your eyeglasses or sunglasses. SoftTemple™ Ear Cushion Socks are knitted with soft elastic cotton fabric that are very comfortable on your skin.

It is also important to ensure that your eyeglasses or sunglasses are not too tight for your head. Consult your optician for eyeglasses adjustments. Many eyeglasses models today feature elastic, bendable temples or very light bodies titanium frame. Reducing the weight and pressure that your eyeglasses put on your ears and nose is generally a good practice. If your are concerned about your eyeglasses slipping, the SoftTemple™ Ear Cushion Socks are also designed to reduce your eyeglasses slipping on your face.

woman in black and white striped blazer
woman in black and white striped blazer