
What Causes Radiating Pressure In Neck And Throat Area?

Your symptoms seem to be related to an atypical trigeminal neuralgia
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Thank you for asking on HCM!
I read your question carefully and understand your concern.
I would like to explain that, your symptomatology is a little complicated and is difficult to differentiate it as a typical type of headache.
Your symptoms seem to be related to an atypical trigeminal neuralgia. It is an inflammatory disorder affecting the trigeminal nerve. It is atypical, because usually the pain in trigeminal neuralgia is throbbing, electric like and not pressure.
I would also mention atypical facial pain (which may be called a type of trigeminal neuralgia), but it is called in this way, because it doesn't fulfill the international criteria of headache for other typical facial headaches.
It is known that an unspecified allergic reaction can lead to a hypersensitivity of the trigeminal nerve causing a trigeminal neuralgia.
The disorders I mentioned before have also a psychological factor on its basis.
So I recommend consulting with a neurologist for a careful physical examination for neurological signs and perform routine blood test, inflammation tests (fibrinogen, PCR, sedimentation), a brain MRI to exclude other possible intracranial causes that may mimic this clinical scenario.
I would advise to discuss with your attending physician on the treatment options and consider starting on an antiepileptic drug (carbamazepine, gabapentine, lamotrigine) or an antidepressant (amytriptiline or SSRI), which have shown good results in chronic facial nerve pain.
Hope to have been of help!
Feel free to ask any other questions whenever you need!
Greetings! Dr. Iliri


Based upon what I have read about atypical trigeminal neuralgia, this does not seem to coincide with my symptoms. Again I have no throbbing pain or electrical type of feeling. This is really a feeling pressure or swelling in my neck and ears that is always there and is at times very intense and annoying but not painful along with the other more recent symptoms I have described above. Still looking for help.
I recommend performing further tests to establish the diagnosis
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
Thank you for the detailed information provided!
As I mentioned before your symptoms do not fulfill the criteria for a certain type of headache ( based on ICHD-2 criterias) for a primary headache.
That’s why I mentioned the term “atypical facial pain”, which has been classified as an atypical variant of trigeminal neuralgia, which does not have the typical characteristics of this disorder ( like episodic throbbing electrical pain).
The pressure and the continuous pattern is characteristic of another type of headache, which is the tensive type headache, which is mainly caused by psychological and physical stress, leading to involuntary contractions of the muscles surrounding the scalp.
Both these disorders lay on a psychological triggering factor.
From the other side, these are primary headache disorders, which mean that other causes of secondary headaches should be excluded by several tests before concluding these diagnoses.
I insist in performing the tests, before mentioned: a routine blood test, inflammation tests, kidney and liver function tests, blood electrolytes, and for sure a brain MRI to examine carefully all the structures (brain, bones, vessels, surrounding tissues).
Regarding your swelling in your joints, they are not a sign of any neurological disorder, but may indicate a rheumatologic disorder.
If suspicions are raised by the inflammation tests results, I recommend consulting with the rheumatologist and perform further tests for this issue.
To conclude, if all the above tests result normal, I would advise to discuss with your neurologist the possibility of starting an antidepressant or gabapentine, which have shown to be successful in chronic atypical facial pain.
Hope to have been of help!
Best wishes,
Dr. Iliri

Answered by

Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
