Paresthesia
Hi there! Have you ever felt burning or tingling sensation in your skin? Or do you feel numbness in some parts of your body? If so, don’t worry, you are not paralyzed! It’s only Paresthesia. Today let’s talk about a very common medical condition which is known as ‘Paresthesia’. This medical condition gives you an unpleasant sensation. Let’s begin: What exactly is Paresthesia? Paresthesia is an abnormal sensation of your body, such as numbness, skin crawling, tingling or burning. Paresthesia is usually felt in the hand, arms, legs or feet. But it can also occur in other parts of your body. The most familiar sensation known as ‘Pins and needles’. People often refer to this as their arm or leg having ‘fallen asleep.’ It happens when you sit with legs crossed for too long or fallen asleep with an arm crooked under your head. Who can get Paresthesia? Anyone can get Paresthesia. You can get Paresthesia by putting pressure on a part of your body, like wearing tight shoes or sitting on your foot and also people with back pain, those who have diabetes. How many types of Paresthesia you may have? There are two types of Paresthesia you may have. They are: • Temporary or Transient ( This is very common type of numbness that you often have experienced) • Chronic Why do you feel Temporary Paresthesia/ pins and needles? Almost everyone has experienced this type of Paresthesia. Many of you probably believe this sensation is caused by the cutting of the circulation of blood flow. Well, you are wrong. They are actually caused by the compressing the nerve in the surrounding area. This feeling quickly goes away once the pressure is relieved and doesn’t cause any further problem. Okay, let me explain: The nerves of your body send information back to the brain and spinal cord. When a sensory nerve is pressed by being in a cramped or awkward position the messages are interrupted, which can cause pins and needles. Once pressure is taken of the nerve, functioning resumes. This uncomfortable sensation is caused by restarting of pain messages from nerves to brain. This pins and needles sensation usually resolves within minutes. What are the causes of Chronic Paresthesia? Chronic Paresthesia is often a symptom of underlying neurological disease or traumatic nerve damage. Paresthesia can be caused by central nervous system’s disorders, such as: • Stroke {a stroke is a “brain attack”. It happens when blood stop flowing to any part of your brain, damaging brain cells} • Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIA) {a TIA is temporary blockage of blood flow to the brain. Some called “mini-stroke”. But is really a major warning, because they can indicate the likelihood of a upcoming stroke} • Multiple sclerosis (MS) {a long-lasting disease that can affect your brain, spinal cord and the optic nerve in your eyes} • Transverse myelitis {a neurological disorder} • Encephalitis {an inflammation of brain tissue} Other possible causes are: • Kidney or liver disease • Trauma {a physical and emotional injury} • Tumor in the brain or near nerves • Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) {Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition that causes pain, numbness, and tingling in the hand and arm. This syndrome can damage peripheral nerves and cause Paresthesia accompanied by pain} • Autoimmune disease {a condition in which your immune system attacks your body} • Diabetes {a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high} • Fibromyalgia {It is the second most common condition affecting your bones and muscles} • Deficiency of vitamin B-1, B-6, B-12 or niacin • Getting too much vitamin D • Certain medication such as chemotherapy drugs and so on. What causes Paresthesia during menopause? Menopause means the “end of monthly cycles”. This form of Paresthesia is caused by hormone fluctuation levels, especially the hormone oestrogen. Oestrogen is one of the main hormones to oscillate during menopause, and it has a great effect over the central nervous system. So when it is thrown off balance, it produces tingling and numbness sensations. While changing oestrogen levels, is the primary cause of Paresthesia during menopause, but also you may have other medical conditions that cause Paresthesia. When you have to see your doctor? Most cases of Paresthesia are temporary. In those cases you don’t need to see your doctor, because these sensations go away naturally. If you have tingling or numbness sensations or other symptoms of Paresthesia last longer than usual, see your doctor immediately!! How is Paresthesia diagnosed? To diagnose Paresthesia your doctor will first take your medical history and asks some questions. You doctor will likely perform some physical examination and may recommend some tests, including: Some neurological exams, EMG (Electromyography), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), Ultrasound, some laboratory tests and so on. What is the treatment of Paresthesia? The treatment for Paresthesia depends on the causes that you have. If your Paresthesia is due to an underlying disease, getting treatment for that disease can potentially ease the symptoms of Paresthesia. **Some tips for you to help minimize Paresthesia: • Maintaining good posture and body positioning to avoid do pressure on the nerves. • Rest often if you need to perform repetitive movements • Get up and move around as often as possible if you have sit for long periods • Always maintain a healthy weight and do regular exercise • You can use “Wrist Splint” in your hand that helps to resolve the symptoms of Paresthesia you experience at night. • If you have diabetes or any other chronic disease, you have to careful in monitoring and disease management. Finally, THANK YOU for taking the time to read my article. Bye for now! Written By: AQIB NEAZ ZOHA JINZHOU MEDICAL UNIVERSITY (CHINA) References: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Menopause Center, Australia Wikipedia Web Link: www.Webmd.com www.healthline.com www.medicalnewstoday.com www.paincare.org www.patient.info www.emedicalhelp.com www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au and so on. YouTube: SciShow
