Neuralgia is a sharp, shocking pain that follows the path of a nerve and is due to irritation or damage to the nerve.

Common neuralgias include:

• Shingles

• Trigeminal neuralgia

• Causes

• Causes of neuralgia include:

• Chemical irritation

• Chronic renal insufficiency

• Diabetes

• Infections, such as herpes zoster ( shingles), HIV, Lyme disease, and syphilis

• Medications such as cisplatin, paclitaxel, or vincristine

• Porphyria

• Pressure on nerves by nearby bones, ligaments, blood vessels, or tumors

• Trauma (including surgery)

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In many cases, the cause is unknown.

Postherpetic neuralgia and trigeminal neuralgia are the two most common forms of neuralgia.

A related but less common neuralgia affects the glossopharyngeal nerve, which provides feeling to the throat.

Neuralgia is more common in elderly people, but it may occur at any age.

Symptoms

• Increased sensitivity of the skin along the path of the damaged nerve, so that any touch or pressure is felt as pain

• Numbness along the path of the nerve

• In the same location each episode

• Sharp, stabbing

• May come and go (intermittent), or be constant, burning pain

• May get worse when the area is moved

• Weakness or complete paralysis of muscles supplied by the same nerve