A city woman who thought the stabbing pain in her face was toothache found out it was actually diagnosed years later as a condition known as "suicide disease."
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is caused by an artery or vein squashing the trigeminal nerve in the face and produces a sudden, severe, stabbing pain.
The Trigeminal Neuralgia Association (TNA), based on the outskirts of Norwich city centre, has been awarded £25,000 to help raise awareness of the "hidden disability."
Aneeta Prem, chief executive of TNA, suffers from the disease and was in pain for years prior to her 2017 diagnosis.
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Aneeta, who lives in Hellesdon, said: "It's widely considered a hidden disability because it can be mistaken for severe toothache and misdiagnosed.
"It's commonly nicknamed the suicide disease because of how the severe pain makes everyday living unbearable.
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"I wasn't diagnosed for seven years and even had a wisdom tooth removed because that's what the cause of the pain was deemed as.
"But after pain continued, I was taken to London University Hospital where I had an MRI and it was found on both sides of my face.
"There's no cure for TN and I know someone who had to be put into a coma for seven days just to alleviate the pain."
However thanks to the recent £25,000 grant from the Postcode Lottery, Aneeta hopes it will be a step forward in helping find a cure.
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"I set up the 'three finger campaign' on October 7 which is a month of recognising the disease," added Aneeta, who was made an MBE last year for campaigning for women's rights after launching Freedom Charity in 2010.
"People with TN think there's no hope and I want to make sure that they're aware of us who can help and support them.
"Because of how illusive the disease is, people suffer much longer than needed, so I hope this money will help to find a long-term cure and increase the awareness of it."
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