If you or a loved one lives with trigeminal neuralgia, you know how tiny, everyday events have the power to trigger intense pain. What you might not know is that for some, the weather could be a contributing factor.
Trigeminal neuralgia is a rare disorder that causes brief episodes of stabbing, shock-like pain around the lower face and jaw. It’s caused by problems with a person's trigeminal nerve — the nerve that carries signals to the brain from the forehead, face, sinuses, teeth and other structures.Some people might experience attacks rarely.For others, they can come a dozen or more times an hour.
Because they can be sparked by minor, routine actions, it’s often hard to keep trigeminal neuralgia attacks at bay. Think brushing your teeth, shaving, touching your face, blowing your nose, talking, or smiling. Even a light wind can give rise to excruciating discomfort.
Weather-wise, breezes aren’t the only thing that can have an effect. If you’re living with trigeminal neuralgia, here are some more ways that the forecast could impact you — and what you can do to manage your pain.
How weather affects trigeminal neuralgia
Just as drinking hot or cold beverages can trigger facial pain, some people with trigeminal neuralgia might notice that their pain attacks flare up in the face of extreme weather, like very hot or very cold temperatures.
But it’s not all about highs and lows. Changes in the weather can also trigger trigeminal neuralgia pain. For example: Oncoming rain is often signaled by a drop in barometric pressure. That can lead to wind, which can trigger facial pain.
Pressure changes can affect the levels of cortisone and adrenaline in the body. Those hormones help manage pain and energy levels. And cold temperatures can lead to tighter muscles, including in the face.
Weather changes can also affect your lifestyle. For example, you might consume more coffee when the weather is dark and gloomy. Or you might crave hot or spicy foods. But hot or spicy foods and drinks can be triggers for people with trigeminal neuralgia.
Finally, weather and seasonal changes can cause stress or even depression, which can affect pain levels.
It’s important to remember that everyone’s trigeminal neuralgia experience is different — and there’s no “usual” way that the forecast might impact your symptoms. I encourage my patients to pay attention to anything that triggers their pain, including the weather. Keeping a symptom journal may make it easier to identify and manage your triggers.
Managing trigeminal neuralgia pain
The first treatment for trigeminal neuralgia is medication. Medications that were first developed to treat seizures, such as carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine, can be extremely effective. Several other medications may also provide relief.
Additional pain management tools can make it easier to cope with breakthrough attacks, including ones brought on by the weather. These techniques usually need to be practiced regularly in order to be effective. Options include cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques, such as MBCT (mindfulness-based cognitive therapy), which may use meditation, guided imagery and other methods. Other complementary techniques, such as acupuncture, may have a role but have not been proven effective.
Surgery can relieve trigeminal neuralgia pain
If medications and lifestyle changes aren’t managing your facial pain, it may be time to consider surgery. For many patients with trigeminal neuralgia, surgery can be a cure! And for patients with other types of facial pain (often called “neuropathic” or “atypical” pain), surgery can help decrease the severity of pain. As a neurosurgeon with experience treating trigeminal neuralgia, I often help patients find relief when other treatments haven’t helped.
Surgical options range from open surgery to minimally-invasive options and include:
- Microvascular decompression
- Focused radiation (radiosurgery)
- Rhizotomy
Each of these procedures has its benefits and drawbacks. So I always talk with patients individually about the best fit for them.
Together, we can find a way to keep their facial pain under the best possible control.
Get expert care
The experts at Temple’s Neurosciences Center have the knowledge and tools to get your trigeminal neuralgia under control. Request an appointment online or call 800-TEMPLE-MED (800-836-7536) today.
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