In a space not bigger than a modest 2BHK flat in Pune, neurosurgeon Dr Jaydev Panchawagh runs a clinic dedicated solely to treat patients of the "deadliest pain known to mankind". Confounded and desperate patients approach him complaining of recurrent episodes of "devastating pain", mostly around the jaw and forehead. It feels as if a drilling machine is piercing through their head, they tell him.
"It is extremely bad," says Anik Nanda, a patient of Panchawagh. "It makes you want to die, renders you completely hopeless and drained out. It is like a mad dog that keeps hounding you whenever it feels like.
Even in its absence, you anticipate its next strike." He was 24 when the pain first struck him. He lived with the pain for seven years before getting treatment at Panchawagh's clinic in 2019. "The first time it felt like an ache, but it kept getting intense and frequent, spreading all over the left side of my face in no time," he recalls.
"I became a zombie, living half a life." He approached numerous doctors, including psychiatrists, dentists and ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialists and took many medicines, all of which failed to provide relief. The solution came through microvascular decompression (MVD) surgery, which involves opening the skull and inserting a tiny sponge between the compressing vessel and the trigeminal nerve so as to create a buffer between the two, thereby fixing the root cause of the pain and also preserving the nerve. Panchawagh has so far conducted close to 800 such surgeries.
The pain in question is medically called trigeminal neuralgia. Nanda was not exaggerating when he said that the pain makes you want to die-trigeminal neuralgia is also known as 'suicide disease' because many patients develop suicidal tendencies. It is estimated that one in 15,000 to 20,000 people worldwide have trigeminal neuralgia and it is twice as common in women than in men. It usually affects people over the age of 50.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 28, 2024 من THE WEEK India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 28, 2024 من THE WEEK India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Mother nurture
Padmini Janaki promises to be with women on their fertility journeys, whether virtually or in person
THE BULLY AND THE BULLIED
The prevalence of bullying in India is very high. With easy access to internet and social media, it has only got worse. There is a need for awareness and resources in how to handle not just the victims but also the perpetrators with care
TRAINING THE BRAIN
Sports mastery is a lot more than physical capability; it shapes the brain, too
The truth about teeth
Neglecting dental health can have varied repercussions
Mpox won't spread as fast as Covid, but the world needs to gear up
The surge in mpox cases following the outbreak in Africa is unprecedented: 18,000 cases and more than 600 deaths have been reported this year. The World Health Organization has declared it a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).
CYCLING TO WORK LOWERS RISK OF DISEASE, DEATH
Cycling or walking to and from work or school has immense mental and physical health benefits and may lower your risk of death, finds a Scottish study published in the journal BMJ Public Health.
NEW ANTIDOTE FOR COBRA BITES
A commonly prescribed blood thinner-heparincan be repurposed as an inexpensive and effective antidote for cobra venom.
VEGAN DIET CAN SLOW BIOLOGICAL AGE IN JUST 8 WEEKS
Eating a vegan diet, even for a short duration, may help you slow down the biological ageing process, finds a new study published in BMC Medicine.
THE DANGERS OF EXCESS BELLY AND ARM FAT
A new Chinese study published in the journal Neurology suggests that people with high levels of fat in their arms or belly have an increased risk for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
NO HEALTH BENEFITS TO MODERATE DRINKING
Drinking a glass of wine daily may not be healthy after all.