Trigeminal neuralgia is more common in women than in men.
It occurs mainly in middle age and older patients. The pain is described by the patient as a sudden excruciating shock-like paroxysm of pain lasting a short time, usually less than a minute, although it may recur at irregular frequent intervals, sometimes with multiple repetitions of pain within a few minutes. It may arise and spread into any part of the face. It can be triggered by eating, talking, brushing the teeth, rubbing the part of the face where the pain arises, or by cold wind. Recurrent attacks of pain usually remain localized to the area of the face in which it originated.