What happens if 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.
Is glossopharyngeal neuralgia treatable?
Treatment for glossopharyngeal neuralgia is aimed at controlling the pain associated with the disorder. Over-the-counter pain medications are generally not very effective at controlling the pain. However, anti-seizure medications and anti-depressants may help relieve pain for some individuals.
Does glossopharyngeal neuralgia go away?
When the glossopharyngeal nerve becomes irritated, an attack of intense electric shock-like pain is felt in the back of the throat, tongue, tonsil or ear. You may initially experience short, mild attacks, with periods of remission. But neuralgia can progress, causing longer, frequent attacks of searing pain.
Can Gpn be cured?
Over time, microvascular decompression (MVD), a surgical procedure, has become an effective treatment for persistent GPN. A majority of patients that undergo MVD achieve long-term pain relief. Microvascular decompression (MVD) is the most common surgical procedure for the treatment of glossopharyngeal neuralgia.
What causes nerve damage in throat?
Laryngeal nerve damage can be caused by injury, tumors, surgery, or infection. Damage to the nerves of the larynx can cause hoarseness, difficulty in swallowing or breathing, or the loss of voice.
How do you test for glossopharyngeal nerve damage?
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.
How is glossopharyngeal neuralgia GPN treated?
How is glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN) treated? In most situations, anticonvulsant drugs are the first line of treatment. If drug therapy is not effective or if a patient has troublesome side effects from the medication, surgery is considered.
How did I get glossopharyngeal neuralgia?
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is generally caused by a small blood vessel that presses on the nerves as they exit the brainstem. This condition is caused by irritation of the ninth cranial nerve by a blood vessel, and is most commonly seen in people over age 40.
Can acid reflux cause glossopharyngeal neuralgia?
Irritation of the respiratory epithelium by gastric acid stimulates the glossopharyngeal and vagus nerves, producing ear pain. Throat cancer could be responsible for secondary glossopharyngeal neuralgia, but could also induce referred ear pain by irritation of the superior laryngeal branch of the vagus nerve.
Is GPN life threatening?
Most common cause is vascular compression of glossopharyngeal nerve. 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.
How long does GPN last?
Typical GPN is characterized by recurring paroxysmal attacks of severe unilateral pain in the area of the glossopharyngeal nerve distribution. The pain is often described as electric shock-like, shooting, or stabbing, and lasts for a few seconds to 2 minutes.
How do you fix nerve damage in your throat?
Treatment depends on the cause of the injury. In some cases, no treatment may be needed and the nerve may recover on its own. Voice therapy is useful in some cases. If surgery is needed, the goal is to change the position of the paralyzed vocal cord to improve the voice.
Is there a cure for glossopharyngeal neuralgia?
Medications can provide relief to patients with glossopharyngeal neuralgia, but many people require increasing doses, which can lead to difficult side effects. When this happens, one treatment option at UPMC is microvascular decompression.
How is microvascular decompression used for glossopharyngeal neuralgia?
Microvascular decompression: This procedure is the most common surgical technique for treating glossopharyngeal neuralgia. It is performed under general anesthesia. The surgeon will make an incision and a small opening in the bone behind the ear on the side of the head where pain occurs.
What are the effects of glossopharyngeal nerve damage?
Among the more serious consequences of glossopharyngeal dysfunction are: Loss of the carotid sinus reflex, leading to diminished blood flow, which impairs brain function Dysphonia, a voice disorder due to spasms in the larynx that causes the voice to break and sound tight or strained Neuralgia is pain due to nerve damage.
How is Gamma Knife radiosurgery used to treat glossopharyngeal neuralgia?
Gamma Knife Radiosurgery (GK or SRS): While this has been used much more commonly in trigeminal neuralgia (similar disorder of a different nerve), it has been used in a small number of cases of difficult-to-treat glossopharyngeal neuralgia. A frame is placed on the head and MRI/CT pictures are taken.