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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : October 11, 2013 12:02 PM IST
Superstar Amitabh Bachchan recently bumped into actor Salman Khan at a studio in Mumbai while shooting for his next film Bhootnath 2. He checked on Salman's health and learnt that he is fast recovering from his nerve problem.
It is no secret that Salman has flown to the US multiple times to get treated for his nerve problem called trigeminal neuralgia which began when we was filming Partner.
Big B even shared a few photographs of his meeting with the fellow actor on microblogging website, Twitter.
'Salman shooting on next floor...met up and enquire of his nerve ailment...he is improving,' Big B posted on his Twitter page. 'He says he is recovering fast...good,' added the 70-year-old, who turns a year older today.
What is trigeminal neuralgia?
Trigeminal neuralgia is often considered one of the most painful conditions in medicine. Usually, the pain is localised to one side of the jaw or cheek, but some people may experience pain on both sides. The pain may last throughout the day or for weeks. It is more common in women than in men and rarely affects people below the age of 50.
Causes
It is caused when the nerve supply to the face via the trigeminal nerve is obstructed by a blood vessel. This happens because there are small changes in the structure of blood vessels over time, leading them to rub against the trigeminal nerve. The constant rubbing with each heartbeat wears away the insulating membrane of the nerve, resulting in nerve irritation. In most cases, the blood vessel responsible is the superior cerebellar artery, but in a small portion of cases, it could also be caused by a vein.
Symptoms:
This condition is characterised by sudden, severe, electric shock-like, or stabbing pain that lasts several seconds or sometimes for a few minutes. The pain is felt largely on the face but may be localised around the lips, eyes, nose, scalp, and forehead. It can also cause a person's voice to become hoarse.
Usually the pain is brought on while performing simple functions like while brushing one's teeth, putting on makeup, touching the face, swallowing, or talking. Studies have shown that even a slight breeze can aggravate the condition.
Diagnosis:
Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition that is usually diagnosed based on the patient's description of his/her symptoms. There are a number of methods including an MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) or an angioplasty that can be used to rule out other reasons for the pain, but there are no tests to detect the presence of this condition.
Treatment: There are certain medicines that help in reducing the pain and the rate of attacks. They are:
If medication does not help,or in some cases if a patient no longer responds to medication, surgery is the only option. The types of surgery that are available are:
In a number of cases, even after surgery, patients tend to experience the pain again after about two years. It is important that they get appropriate postoperative treatment at regular intervals.
With inputs from IANS
Image source: Twitpic
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