Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia is a disorder that is associated with repeated episodes of severe pain in the tongue, throat, ear, and tonsils. These areas are all connected to the Glossopharyngeal nerve, a.k.a. the ninth cranial nerve. Episodes of pain may last from a few seconds to a few minutes and usually occur on one side of the face. The pain may be triggered by swallowing, speaking, laughing, chewing, or coughing. The most effective drugs to control pain are anti-seizure medications and anti-depressants. Surgery to sever or take the pressure off of the glossopharyngeal nerve is an option in severe cases. It is caused by irritation/increased pressure of the glossopharyngeal nerve from an abnormally positioned artery, growths at the base of the skull, infection, an injury, or tumors of the throat, mouth or brain. Rarely, the disorder may be caused by an aneurysm in the carotid artery, an abnormally long styloid process, or multiple sclerosis. In some cases, the exact cause of the irritation is sometimes unknown.