Fig 1: Human Brain Source credit : https://neurospinesurgical.com/2018/01/04/5-facts-didnt-know-human-brain/
By:Dr. Mayukh Pandit
Head of the Department (Anatomy)
NUCHMT, Ghana, West Africa
Our brain is the most complex and one of the largest organs of human body. It is approximated that human brain contains 100 billion neurons and weighs between 1-1.5 kg. Our brain is the supreme commander of our nervous system. In other words human brain is just like computers controlling the body’s function and metabolism very systematically and functionally. Human brain along with spinal cord forms our central nervous system (CNS).
Source credit : https://neurospinesurgical.com/2018/01/04/5-facts-didnt-know-human-brain/
The delicious cuisines you taste, wonderful odor you smell from deodorant, mesmerizing classical music you enjoy and feeling sensation in your body are all controlled by a set of 12 pair of nerves known as cranial nerves which are located in back of our brain. So this twelve pair of nerves connects our brain to different parts of head, neck and even trunk of our body. Sometimes due to certain etiological factors, compression could occur in this pair of nerves leading to development of serious chronic vascular compression disorder. Out of the 12 pair of cranial nerves when compression occurs in the fifth pair of cranial nerves known as the trigeminal nerve which could produce world’s most excruciating pain ever witnessed by humanity. This unbearable pain is also triggered by day-to-day activities such as shaving, brushing our teeth or in case of female by simply putting makeup , eating or even talking to someone. So suffering from this unpredictable episodes of unbearable pain in face and temples region for long time, patient starts developing psychiatric disorders, which could lead one to contemplating suicide. This is the reason trigeminal neuralgia and its name as Suicide disease also known as Fothergill Disease, tic douloureux or Trifacial neuralgia .
Let us all acquire information & be ready to battle Suicide Disease together .
Suicide disease is one of the most difficult task for a clinician to diagnose because its symptoms resemble to other facial pain disorder. It has been reported that this disease is mostly misdiagnosed with continuous dental pain or persistent temporomandibular joint disorders. So I would like to draw our readers attention with vital signs and symptoms of this disease because if it is diagnosed and detected at early stages then there are every possibilities to cure it permanently. So according to Medical News Today and Mayo Clinic these are the following key symptoms which one should always remember :-
- Sudden severe attacks of brief stabbing pain which last from few seconds to several minutes.
- This excruciating episodes of pain is mostly localized too lower or upper jaw region, teeth & cheek and very rarely in the forehead or orbital region.
Note :- Trigeminal neuralgia usually affects the maxillary division and mandibular division of trigeminal nerve and very rarely the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve so for this reason , forehead and orbital remains unaffected.
- This pain might feel like an electric shock which is localized on one side of the face at a time.
- Pain might occur with facial spasm according to a data provided by Mayo Clinic
- Attacks would become more frequent and progressive overtime.
It also has been frequently reported that suicide disease has significantly affected people over the age of 50 years. This disorder is also very common in women as compared to men. According to one official report provided by National Institute of health that one in every 8000 people are affected with this disease per year. Person suffering from this excruciating painful condition often starts suffering from psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety and stress disorders resulting in the development of suicide ideation in them.
Source credit: The Johns Hopkins University, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Johns Hopkins Health System.
The aim of my article was to spread the awareness among my readers so that they could obtain basic information on this world’s most excruciating and painful disease humanity have ever witnessed and to seek medical treatment at earliest. It also becomes the prime responsibility for a clinicians to conduct corrective and precise investigation to confirm the presence of trigeminal neuralgia , MRI scan must be carried out which would rule out suicide disease by showcasing any blood vessels compressing the trigeminal nerve hence causing this disease. As it is always correctly quoted that
“a correct diagnosis is 3/4 the remedy”.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr.Mayukh Pandit is recognized as Humanitarian Doctor, Board Certified Researcher, Medical Lecturer & HOD (Anatomy), Author, Editor in Chief of JAD & Diplomat. He is also the recipient of Asia’s Best Researcher in Anatomy in 2020, India’s Most Eminent Researcher of the year from Indian Medical Association JDN at ICMR-RMRC, Bhubaneswar & honored with KRMB Title from Royal Aristocratic House of Indonesia from daughter of first President of Indonesia Suakarno for his commendable humanitarian service for mankind. He is also serving as Editorial and Peer Review Committee Board Member in 45 International and National Journals and have been awarded with Best Peer-Reviewer award in 2021 from Journal of Clinical Anatomy & recipient of Best Editor Award from Indian Journal of Neuroscience in 2023.He have made a record of over 20+ peer-reviewed publications which were published in various prestigious Journals along with 4 published learning material and books for NUCHMT,Ghana & was behind establishment of Africa’s first accredited holistic medical University in Ghana by serving as National Accreditation Occupational Standard committee member in The Commission of Technical and Vocational Education Training, Ministry of Education Ghana. His news article is published in West Africa leading national newspaper in Modern Ghana, The Chronicles, The Business Times official and Daily Graphic national newspaper. He have been invited as Chief Guest Speaker in India’s largest virtual medical conference as well as honored as Guest of Honor and Speaker from many recognized international conferences globally.
DR . MAYUKH PANDIT
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