Symptoms include severe pain in areas connected to the ninth cranial nerve:

• Back of the nose and throat (nasopharynx)
• Back of the tongue
• Ear
• Throat
• Tonsil area
• Voice box (larynx)

The pain occurs in episodes and may be severe. It can sometimes be triggered by:

• Chewing
• Coughing
• Laughing
• Speaking
• Swallowing

Tests will be done to identify problems, such as tumors, at the base of the skull. Tests may include:

• CT scan of the head
• MRI of the head
• X-rays

Sometimes the MRI may show swelling (inflammation) of the glossopharyngeal nerve.

To find out whether a blood vessel is pressing on the nerve, pictures of the brain arteries may be taken using:

• Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)
• X-rays of the arteries with a dye (conventional angiography)

Certain blood tests may be needed when the diagnosis is not clear to rule out other causes of peripheral nerve problems (neuropathy), such as high blood sugar.