Many people often feel numbness in their limbs (arms and legs). Sometimes it is accompanied by a slight tingling, the appearance of goosebumps on the body, pulling painful sensation. Mostly rather unpleasant phenomena are caused by physiological changes in the body. In some cases, numbness is the first sign of a disease. We will separately discuss the causes and methods of treating numbness.
Numbness of the limbs: causes
A slight, almost imperceptible tingling, crawling ants, decreased sensitivity - all these sensations are called paresthesia.
The cause of numbness of the limbs (legs) may be wearing new shoes. Of course, one cannot do without “rubbing”. Gradually, numbness, which occurs when swelling, joins him. In order to avoid the appearance of an unpleasant sensation, it is necessary to carefully approach the issue of choosing shoes. A similar situation occurs when wearing tight clothing.
Prolonged exposure to an uncomfortable position during the day or during sleep causes numbness in the limbs.
Among the physiological causes that can also affect the appearance of numbness are exposure to air or low temperature water. In this situation, it is necessary to urgently warm the frozen limbs.
Pathological causes
Numbness of limbs (arms and legs) can also be caused by diseases of the nervous system. During the course of the inflammatory process in the nerve trunks, pinching or other pathological processes occur.
So, numbness of the extremities occurs in such diseases:
- Polyneuropathy - numerous lesions of the trunks of the peripheral nervous system. Atrophy and weakness in the extremities, drying out, partial impaired movement, and in some cases paralysis (complete loss of function) are observed. Such "nerve suffering" is usually found in people who have diabetes, alcoholism, as well as infectious blood diseases (diphtheria, hemoblastosis), hereditary diseases (porphyria), and diseases of the connective tissue (periarteritis nodosa, systemic lupus erythematosus).
- Damage to the nerve plexuses of the spine (cervical, brachial, lumbosacral). In this situation, numbness is accompanied by severe pain.
Neurological processes often cause numbness in the limbs. The reasons for this are a specific type of activity, which requires constant tension of the hands and shoulder area. Often numbness is felt by violinists, seamstresses, pianists and those people who spend a lot of time at the computer keyboard.
Symptoms
Numbness of the extremities is usually accompanied by very painful sensations. The most “faithful companions” of limb paresthesia:
- pain
- rise in body temperature;
- redness or blanching of the skin;
- mental disorders - fear;
- autonomic disorders - palpitations, breathing, sweating, and dizziness and fainting occur.
Numbness can be locally isolated - on one side of the limb - or immediately on both. In rare cases, opposite sides of the body go numb: left arm and right leg. There are frequent cases when unpleasant manifestations occur in combination with other parts of the body (back, stomach, face, etc.).
Finger numbness
This is a fairly common phenomenon, which has a wide range of causes. Unpleasant sensations in the upper limbs can occur due to the manifestation of carpal tunnel syndrome. This syndrome is especially common in people who work a lot at the keyboard of a computer.
Since everyday work at the computer causes severe tension on the hands, tendon edema may gradually appear. This is due to the fact that the nerves responsible for the sensitivity of the palm are compressed. The nerves on the middle, index and thumb are directly compressed. If untreated in a timely manner, complete muscle death may occur. As a result, a person will not be able to move his fingers.
If the left limbs go numb
Numbness of the limbs (hands) on the left often indicates that there are problems with the heart. Such phenomena occur due to experienced severe stress or nervous breakdown.
If numbness manifested itself in stages, it is necessary to understand the exact reason for its development. Perhaps the disease is associated with vascular problems, the spine or the nervous system. Often a similar phenomenon occurs due to existing osteochondrosis. Accordingly, as a result, changes occur in the spine - the intervertebral nerves are pinched.
Numbness of the left extremities occurs most often in people whose age exceeds 50. Numbness is accompanied by pain with seizures. Also, the cause may be rheumatoid arthritis - an infectious disease in which infection penetrates the joints, as a result - they are deformed and pinch the nerves.
If the right limbs are numb
Numbness of the extremities (legs and arms) of the right side is often caused by the consequence of a stroke. Sometimes simple numbness can go into the stage of complete paralysis. If the patient is not helped on time, then everything can end in death.
Often, numbness of the right side is accompanied by pain, increased fatigue and weakness of the whole body.
Numbness of part of the face
Facial numbness is often associated with vascular and nerve diseases. The characteristic symptomatic signs of facial numbness indicate that the central nervous system is affected.
If the face is numb only on one side, then the development of neuralgia is likely. It is characterized by severe pain and bright twitching of the muscles of the face.
In case of redness of a numb face and rash, it is possible that there is probably shingles. In addition to these symptoms, fluid bubbles may occur. Among the accompanying symptoms: body temperature decreases, appetite decreases and general weakness appears.
Numbness of arms and legs at the same time
Simultaneous numbness of the limbs is often accompanied by dizziness. This process is associated with neuralgia - the nervous system. These symptoms are the effects of nervous agitation and stress. Getting rid of this problem will be quite difficult. First of all, you need to isolate yourself from the negative and try to be less nervous. Otherwise, the appearance of a serious disease associated with a violation of the cardiovascular system, as well as orthopedic and neurological diseases.
Simultaneous numbness of the extremities occurs due to pinching of the nerve, accompanied by a process of headache, itching, tingling, burning. Often a patient has severe overwork and a general weak state.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis of limb numbness should be carried out only by a doctor with many years of experience (neurologist, neurologist, family doctor or general practitioner).
Immediately it will be necessary to take a general blood test to see the level of hemoglobin and, possibly, to identify IDA (iron deficiency anemia). Reduced red blood cells and hemoglobin in the blood can lead to numbness of the limbs. Also, the results of a general blood test can determine the level of vitamin B12 in the body.
An important role is played by x-ray and computed tomography. Using these methods, you can determine the presence of bone fractures that affect the nerves. Electroneuromyography is also used - a technique with which you can determine the location of nerve damage.
The method of ultrasound Doppler examination of blood vessels is actively used. It is effective in the diagnosis of vascular diseases: deep vein thrombosis, varicose veins, atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower extremities. This list of diseases often causes numbness.
Treatment
Now you know the causes of numbness of the extremities, the treatment depends on what disease causes this process. If numbness is associated with daily specific work, then treatment will be much easier.
You cannot prescribe a course of treatment yourself. Because numbness can be caused by a serious illness that needs to be treated urgently. First of all, you need to contact a neurologist, and then undergo a full medical examination.
Timely treatment can be carried out both in an inpatient setting and in an outpatient setting. In rare cases, surgical intervention has to be added.
Folk remedies
Treatment of numbness of the extremities can be carried out with the help of traditional medicine. It is recommended to use honey, milk and sea salt. To prepare the therapeutic composition, you need to mix 1 liter of milk with 50-100 g of honey and 0.5 kg of sea salt. Stir the mixture and heat over low heat to 60 degrees. Then add 1 liter of water of the same temperature to the resulting solution. Pour the entire mixture into a basin with an enameled surface.
After that, carry out the washing of hands and feet for 10 minutes. Course - 10-15 procedures. It is imperative that the condition is met: after warming up, there is no need to supercool.
We connect diet therapy
Causes of limb numbness and treatment are interrelated concepts. Patients suffering from this ailment must follow a protein and fortified diet. You need to add legumes, cabbage, carrots, greens and vegetable salads to the diet.
As for drinks, it is advisable not to drink coffee and cocoa. Better prefer mint tea.
Do not abuse sweet, fatty and smoked foods.
Prevention
In order to avoid problems with numbness of the hands and feet, you need to carefully approach the choice of shoes, sleep on a flat surface.
Walks in the fresh air are recommended, it is absolutely necessary to alternate work at the computer with rest. Do not use the elevator, but give preference to climbing stairs. Use brisk walking, walk as much as possible. All this will allow you to warm up the muscles and prevent their stagnation. It is also important to perform at least elementary physical exercises every day - exercise in the morning.
Exercise 1: as soon as a person wakes up, it is necessary, without getting out of bed, to raise his fists up and compress them 50 times in a row. Then stretch the limbs along the body and repeat these steps again.
Exercise 2: press your palms against each other, cross your fingers, then squeeze and unclench 30 times. This exercise is effective when developing hands.
Forecast
Numbness is often caused by normal tiredness. However, there are also cases where the reason lies in a serious illness. In no case should you run it. This is especially true of Raynaud's disease. The prognosis can only be positive if you seek the help of a doctor in a timely manner. Otherwise, the intervention of the surgeon is possible. Your health is in your hands! Be healthy!