Numbness is very common among people and it can happen to almost anyone or any age group. This is the time when you do not feel a limb or part of your body. Basically in this condition, the sensation to feel any object or movement does not take place. You may also have noticed prickle sensation; this means feeling as if someone is poking small needles on that particular section of the body. Most of the body parts can feel numb at times, but most commonly it is either of the limbs that are affected. Today, we will discuss about causes of numbness in limbs and what are the symptoms of it.
Can Numbness Result to Serious Problems?
We consulted Dr. Sumeet Nigam, General Physician from Sahara Hospital, Lucknow regarding numbness. He told that in majority of cases it is just a loss of sensation for few minutes because of pressure on nerves or because of being in a particular posture for very long. But in few cases it can be associated with conditions that have connection with neurological damage and sensory-nerve issues. In that case, it may also become hard for you to move and hence you need to take medical attention as soon as possible. In certain cases, it also results to stroke; therefore it is best to consult an expert in case of prolonged numbness.
You may feel these symptoms if you have numbness-
- Burning sensation in that limb
- Loss of sensitivity
- Pain due to contact with non-harmful stimuli
- Tingling sensation
Complication of Numbness in Limbs
Most common complications of numbness are associated with nerve damage or compression. Numbness usually does not mean to have a complication or medical emergency. However if the sensation does not come back for more than 30 minutes you should consult a doctor.
1. Stroke
If there are any complications which are associated with nerve damage that may result to stroke, then you will also have these problems with numbness-
- Confused thinking process
- Difficulty in speaking
- Facial drooping
- Numbness that occurs on one side of the body or limb
These conditions can be associated to stroke and medical emergency which requires immediate medical attention to prevent any significant brain nerve or tissue damage.
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2. Brain Tumour
This is an extreme condition which could lead to life-threatening consequences. Numbness in limbs that comes along these symptoms may be associated with brain tumour-
- Pounding or extreme headache
- Loss of consciousness
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling blacked out
If anyone feels similar sensation during numbness, he must rush to the hospital immediately. However numbness that leads to brain stroke usually happens because of some underlying conditions related to disorders or alcohol abuse. Other underlying conditions can include-
- Bone compression that happens because of osteoarthritis
- Compressive neuropathies
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Diabetes
- Fibromyalagia
- Herniated disk
- Multiple sclerosis
- Peripheral nerve compression
- Sciatica
- Thyroid disease
- Vasculitis
- Shingles disease
- Vitamin B-12 deficiency
Pregnancy in third trimester- According to our expert, women may also have numbness which could lead to brain tumour at the time of trimester. This is because in that phase, woman experiences tingling and numbness very often due to swelling which result to put pressure on nerves. This in very few cases leads to brain tumour.
How can Numbness be diagnosed?
If there is severity in case of numbness, it can be diagnosed by these methods by a medical expert-
1. Medical History of the person- Taking in consideration that due to past history of problems or health disorder, there may be risk of severity associated with numbness in a person. This may also impact the duration of time for which the person feels numb. The medical examiner may also ask for the place where your felt numbness, its duration and type of sensation during that phase.
2. Physical Examination- After medical history is checked and doctor feels that there may be something serious related to nerve disorder, he conducts physical examination. In this physical examination, he examines neurological functions and muscle strength etc. He also check the sensory functions in the body for being sure about the cause behind the numbness.
If there is no reaction or numb feeling when touched at both side of the numb area, then chances of brain lesion increases. It also depends on when and where the person is experiencing numbness often. It can also indicate of peripheral nerve damage also.
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3. Clinical Tests- There are certain clinical tests which can also be conducted if medical examiner feels that there may be serous problem associated with the person. For this he does blood test or imaging to get the full diagnosis. Clinical tests may also include MRI or CT scans to check or stroke or tumour.
General blood tests is done to find out the following things-
- Kidney function test
- Glucose availability
- Vitamin B-12 Deficiency
- Thyroid stimulating hormone
- Electrolyte panel
- Complete blood count
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