Headache Disorders
Occipital Neuralgia and Facial Pain
While trigeminal neuralgia is the most common of the facial pain diagnoses, there are others that cause facial pain. Understanding the various pain sensations and how they arise can help patients have better conversations with healthcare providers and look at different treatment options to best address the symptoms. Of the conditions explored in this blog, occipital neuralgia is the most prevalent, which stems from a spinal nerve but causes pain to be experienced in the head.
Read MoreTrigeminal Neuralgia & Facial Pain
A Complex and Acutely Painful Condition Trigeminal neuralgia, while a rare disorder, is one of the more commonly heard of facial pain disorders. In 2021, “The Good Doctor” and “Chicago Med” both featured a patient with what is nicknamed “the suicide disease.” In both cases, they had successful microvascular decompression surgery performed leaving many to…
Read MoreDo You Know What Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgia Is?
Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia (TAC) is a group of primary headache disorders. The one most commonly heard of is cluster headache. This group of headache disorders are strictly unilateral, which means they cause symptoms only on one side of the head. They usually involve symptoms such as a red watery eye, stuffy or runny nose, forehead sweating, swollen droopy eye, and/or unilateral pupil constriction – these are known as cranial parasympathetic autonomic features. While this group of headache disorders has these common traits and are known as TACs, there are also important differences which help determine the most appropriate diagnosis.
Read MoreDo I Have Migraine or Cluster Headaches?
Migraine disease and trigeminal autonomic cephalgia (TAC – which includes cluster headache) are two different primary headache disorders. While it is possible to have both, one does not morph into the other, the severity of migraine does not change the diagnosis, and there is no such thing as “cluster migraine”! Accurate diagnosis is crucial but can be tricky, so it’s important to work with a certified headache specialist who can help you navigate this process and figure out what treatments might have a higher success rate for you. Knowing some of these key differences between migraine and cluster will help with that process:
Read More