Pain usually affects one side of the face in regions between the lower jaw to forehead and skull above the ear. In some patients, the eye, ear, or palate may be affected. In many patients, attacks are less frequent at night or when lying down. Onset of symptoms is most common in persons age 50-60, but can occur at any age, including infancy. The disorder is slightly more common in women than in men.
Pain often begins intermittantly, with periods of months or sometimes years between attacks.
As the patient grows older, periods of remission are shorter and attacks more severe. Some patients experience burning or aching which extends over longer periods of time, most often in one side of the face or forehead. Less is medically known about the causes of atypical TN pain. Likewise, surgical treatment may be less effective in resolving atypical pain patterns. Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is a potentially related neurological disorder that causes pain in the pallate, ear and throat, with difficulty swallowing.