What does numbness mean?
It is a condition where a person loses sensation in any part of the body.
Numbness can be complete or partial.
It usually indicates a nerve problem, but it can also be a symptom of another disease.
Numbness may develop due to the following pathologies:
- Osteoporosis;
- Spinal cord compression;
- Intervertebral disc herniation;
- Diabetes;
- Some infections;
- Kidney disease;
- Medication (some kind of side effect);
- Multiple sclerosis;
- Stroke;
- Arthritis;
- Tumor;
- Animal or insect bite;
- Toxins and others.
Call 911 immediately if the numbness is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Confusion;
- It is difficult for the patient to control the action of the bladder or stomach;
- Difficulty breathing;
- Loss of sensitivity on the face, body;
- Changes related to speech or vision;
- Sudden weakness;
- Paralysis;
- Loss of consciousness.
Emergency medical intervention is necessary if:
- The feeling of numbness was formed completely suddenly;
- Numbness occurs in the hip, genitals, buttock area;
- You lost sensitivity in one arm, one leg or one side of the body;
- Numbness in the lower part of the chest;
- Numbness or weakness quickly spreads to another part of the body.
In a large percentage of clinical cases, numbness is less urgent, but we recommend consulting a doctor if you notice the following:
- You cannot associate the numbness with anything, that is, it is difficult for you to identify the cause;
- Numbness appears during repeated movement;
- Against the background of numbness, the patient loses strength or has difficulty controlling the muscle;
- Loss of sensitivity is accompanied by a rash.
Source:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21015-numbness
