What is Trigeminal Neuralgia?
This is a condition that causes severe facial pain due to irritation of one of the nerves in the face. It usually affects women more than men, and almost always affects people over 40. The disease can usually be treated with medicines.

Symptoms
The typical symptom of trigeminal neuralgia is excruciatingly severe pain that begins suddenly on one side of the face. It usually begins at the mouth and then shoots up toward the eye, ear, or nose on the same side of the face. It is very unusual for the pain to be on both sides of the face.
The pain comes and goes, usually lasting a few seconds to a few minutes. As the disease progresses, the painful episodes often become more frequent and severe.
The patient may be pain free for a few minutes or longer. However, some develop a continuous dull ache that never goes away.
Touch, chewing, wind drafts, or facial movements can trigger painful episodes. In some, there are specific sites on their face that if touched, result in severe pain.

Cause
Trigeminal neuralgia is due to irritation of the trigeminal nerve, which is one of the nerves of the face.
Often, there is no apparent cause of this nerve irritation.
Occasionally, it can be due to diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Brain Aneurysm, Brain Tumor, or narrowing of the tunnel through which the trigeminal nerve passes from the brain to the face.