What happens when the glossopharyngeal nerve is damaged?
Glossopharyngeal nerve lesions produce difficulty swallowing; impairment of taste over the posterior one-third of the tongue and palate; impaired sensation over the posterior one-third of the tongue, palate, and pharynx; an absent gag reflex; and dysfunction of the parotid gland.
What is disorder of glossopharyngeal nerve?
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is a disorder that is associated with repeated episodes of severe pain in the tongue, throat, ear, and tonsils. These areas are all connected to the ninth cranial nerve, also called the glossopharyngeal nerve.
Is glossopharyngeal neuralgia life threatening?
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is life-threatening condition because it is associated with cardiac arrest, hypotension, syncope and weight loss. Treatment with carbamazepine is affected in patients with cardiovascular manifestations.
Can glossopharyngeal neuralgia go away?
Over the years, the condition will typically fluctuate with symptoms going away for several months (remission) and then returning again (relapse). The natural history of this condition is slow worsening – remissions get shorter and relapses get more severe over the years.
How do you fix glossopharyngeal nerve damage?
Surgery: Microvascular Decompression Under the view of a microscope or endoscope, the doctors detect the area where the blood vessel is affecting the nerve and then separate them, leaving a Teflon “pillow” in between. Microvascular decompression is considered the most effective glossopharyngeal neuralgia treatment.
What are the symptoms of glossopharyngeal neuralgia?
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is a rare condition in which there are repeated episodes of severe pain in the tongue, throat, ear, and tonsils. This can last from a few seconds to a few minutes.
Can GPN be cured?
No one can promise that any surgery for glossopharyngeal neuralgia will be successful for all patients, and there is always the chance that pain will recur at a later date; however, surgery is the best chance at relieving the underlying problem behind glossopharyngeal neuralgia pain.
What triggers glossopharyngeal neuralgia?
Possible causes for this type of nerve pain (neuralgia) are: Blood vessels pressing on the glossopharyngeal nerve. Growths at the base of the skull pressing on the glossopharyngeal nerve. Tumors or infections of the throat and mouth pressing on the glossopharyngeal nerve.
How do you get rid of glossopharyngeal neuralgia?
The drugs that work best at relieving GPN pain are anticonvulsant medications, such as carbamazepine (Tegretol), gabapentin (Neurontin), phenytoin (Dilantin), pregabalin (Lyrica), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal) and baclofen (Lioresal).
How do you know if you have glossopharyngeal neuralgia?
For the test, a doctor touches the back of the throat with a cotton-tipped applicator. If pain results, the doctor applies a local anesthetic to the back of the throat. If the anesthetic eliminates the pain, glossopharyngeal neuralgia is likely. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is done to check for tumors.
What kind of doctor treats glossopharyngeal neuralgia?
Glossopharyngeal pain can be similar to trigeminal neuralgia – and misdiagnosed. Be sure to see a neurosurgeon who specializes in facial pain who can make the distinction.
Is GPN serious?
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN) is a rare condition that affects the glossopharyngeal nerve, which lies deep within the neck. GPN causes episodes of severe stabbing pain in the throat, tongue and ears. These excruciating bouts last anywhere from several seconds to a few minutes.