Numbness in a person can be a sign of a serious illness. However, on the other hand, paresthesia of the legs and arms does not always speak of some terrible diagnoses. Today we will figure out in which situations you should not worry, and in which - you should immediately seek help from a specialist in order to get rid of such unpleasant symptoms and, of course, cure the disease itself.
When don't you need to worry?
Such unpleasant sensations as tingling and numbness of the fingers and toes, burning and "goosebumps" in the limbs in medicine are called paresthesia. Often, such symptoms result from a short clamping of nerves due to an uncomfortable posture. In this case, paresthesia is most often unilateral, that is, numbness and tingling of the right hand occur. or, for example, the left leg.
For example, a person sits for a long time, bending lower limbs, or sleeping in an uncomfortable position. As a result, the legs begin to tingle, "goosebumps" appear. Another case: in a crowded transport, a person is forced to hold onto the handrail with his right or left hand for a long time. As a result, flowing of the upper limbs occurs. In this case, numbness and tingling of the left hand as well as the right one can be eliminated as follows: straighten the brush, change the position of the body and wait a bit until the condition normalizes.
That is, a special treatment for paresthesia in this case is not required. But there are situations when a similar symptom appears often and does not depend on the position of the limbs. Then specialist advice is required. Based on the examination, the doctor prescribes additional research methods, and then adequate treatment.
Spinal problems
Numbness and tingling of the fingers can indicate serious problems such as osteochondrosis or intervertebral hernia.
In the first disease, vertebral growths appearing as a result of degenerative changes act as the cause of paresthesia. And these layers can pinch the nerve endings, which leads to such consequences.
If a person has an intervertebral hernia, then the cause of the discomfort is nerve compression. Most often, strangulation occurs on the one hand, for example, on the left, so numbness and tingling of the left hand are observed.
Hemodynamic impairment
Paresthesia may be one of the first signs of a stroke or vascular problems. These unhealthy conditions are mostly caused by hypertension or atherosclerosis. And tingling in the hands and numbness of the limbs can be caused by stress or mental stress. In any case, if a person regularly observes such negative manifestations in himself, you should immediately go to the doctor, because the reasons for such a malaise can be too serious.
Numbness Factors
The etiology of paresthesia of the lower extremities of a person can be both diseases of the body and an incorrect lifestyle.
Most often, tingling and numbness in the legs appears with such health problems:
- Osteochondrosis.
- Neuropathy - damage to nerve endings in the lower extremities.
- Intervertebral hernia.
- Reine's disease. This ailment has been little studied in medicine. During this disease, there is a weakening of blood circulation in the lower extremities. Paresthesia of the legs in this case is accompanied by swelling and cramping.
- Rheumatoid arthritis is a joint disease in which knee deformation occurs, and nerves are compressed. This ailment is also accompanied by severe pain and swelling in the legs.
- Multiple sclerosis, which is characterized by stiffness of the tissues of the spinal cord and brain. In this case, a person has pain in his legs, limbs go numb.
- Atherosclerosis. Such a diagnosis is more often made to people over 50 years old. During this disease, tingling and numbness in the legs occurs, and the patient also complains of weakness and fatigue.
Lack of nutrients and vitamins
A very common cause of limb paresthesia is a deficiency of certain substances that are very important for the normal functioning of the body. The lack of vitamin B12, which is responsible for the metabolic processes of the nervous system, can lead to impaired sensitivity of the lower extremities.
The treatment in this case is simple: you need to compensate for the lack of this element and in the future to monitor the desired content in the body.
Pregnancy
In women in position, tingling and numbness often occur legs. However, you should not be scared and look for possible diseases that are accompanied by such a symptom. This is a normal phenomenon, which is associated with changes in the body of a pregnant woman: there is an excess of fluid, as a result of which the limbs can swell. In addition, the heart also works for the baby, the blood volume increases, which leads to a violation of hemodynamics. In this case, a pregnant woman feels tingling and numbness in her legs at night or after sleep. In such cases, no treatment is required, because everything will pass after childbirth.
Treatment of paresthesia of the lower extremities
After the cause of numbness is identified and an accurate diagnosis is made, the patient should adhere to all the doctor's recommendations. In addition, there is a whole range of measures that relieve leg fatigue, tension in the spine, and eliminate limb numbness. You should remember or even write down such simple tricks that will help overcome paresthesia:
1. Sports. Cycling, swimming, regular walking and other types of similar loads will help get rid of numbness and tingling of the legs and arms, as well as develop the spine.
2. Healthy lifestyle, which implies quitting smoking, alcohol. If a person takes alcohol or smokes, a spasm of blood vessels occurs in the body. As a result, tingling and numbness appear. legs and arms, cramps and other undesirable symptoms.
3. Proper nutrition. The main component of the diet should be warm porridge - oatmeal, buckwheat, pearl barley. Also do not forget about fresh vegetables and fruits.
4. It is impossible to prevent hypothermia in the cold season.
5. Contrast baths. Daily procedures with hot and cold water will facilitate the physical condition of the legs. To do this, you need to lower limbs alternately for half a minute in a tank with the maximum heated, and then with ice-cold liquid. The procedure should be carried out in the morning and in the evening, and after such a bath you should grease your feet with turpentine ointment and put on warm socks so as not to get sick.
Now you know that the causes of such unpleasant sensations as tingling and numbness in the legs and arms can be very different. And not always such symptoms should be considered as a sign of some terrible ailment. Indeed, often the wrong posture may be the reason for the appearance of "goose bumps", and then no treatment is required. However, if tingling and numbness appears frequently, then a person needs to consult a doctor to find out the cause of such symptoms and to overcome the disease in time.