This is a reply to the Associated Press article recently published titled, "Teen's tongue piercing linked to pain."
The Association of Professional Piercers is a nonprofit health,
safety and education organization whose membership is comprised of body
piercers and related professionals. Our mission is to disseminate vital
information about body piercings to piercers, health care
professionals, legislators and the general public. As the medical
liaison for the APP, I would like to offer some clarification on the
topic of the article.
In the piece, it states the recent Journal of the American Medical
Association article linked the Italian teenager’s pain with the
condition called trigeminal neuralgia, which is colorfully referred to
by its nickname, the "suicide disease." As the JAMA article states, the
patient was diagnosed with atypical trigeminal neuralgia, which is much
different from typical trigeminal neuralgia.
Typical trigeminal neuralgia is typically caused by compression of
the trigeminal nerve root and is characterized by intense,
electric-like pain which is often completely debilitating, reportedly
bringing many of its sufferers to thoughts of suicide in an effort to
deal with the pain. (Hence the nickname, the "suicide disease.")
Atypical trigeminal neuralgia is a less common form of the disorder.
Although it is still accompanied by moments of intense pain, it is not
characterized by the blinding pain of the former condition. (It most
certainly is not the condition referred to as the "suicide disease.")
And although it is infrequent, adjacent dental fillings composed of
dissimilar metals may also trigger attacks. The JAMA article alludes to
this when it states, "trigeminal neuralgia after a dental alloy
implant, possibly triggered by galvanism, has been reported."
While the Associated Press is the model of objective journalism,
this article has spawned many newspapers to reprint this piece, in
whole or in part, with headlines which imply a link between tongue
piercing and typical trigeminal neuralgia. The APP would like to
clarify that there is not an established relationship between tongue
piercing and typical trigeminal neuralgia, otherwise known as the
"suicide disease."
The APP does not attempt to ignore the risks associated with tongue
piercings, but we are obviously concerned when these risks are unduly
exaggerated. We respectfully wish to correct this error.
James Weber
Medical Liaison
Association of Professional Piercers
Philadelphia, Pa.
