IN BRIEF (Page 19)

Facial pain must be heeded

Episodes of searing pain in the eyes, lips, nose, scalp, forehead or jaw could be a sign of a potentially-serious condition known as trigeminal neuralgia (TN).

The problem is often caused by contact between a normal artery or vein and a nerve at the base of the brain. The contact puts pressure on the nerve and causes it to short-circuit or malfunction, says the Berlin-based Germany Neurology Society.