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Numbness

DEFINITION


Numbness describes a loss of sensation or feeling in a part of your body. Numbness often is accompanied by other changes in sensation, such as a pins-and-needles feeling, burning or tingling. Numbness can occur along a single nerve, or it may occur on both sides of the body in a symmetrical pattern.




CAUSES


Numbness is usually caused by damage, irritation or compression of several nerves or a single branch of a nerve, most often situated in the periphery of your body. Diseases affecting the peripheral nerves, such as diabetes, also can cause numbness. Rarely, numbness can be caused by problems in your brain or spinal cord.


Fortunately, numbness by itself is only rarely associated with potentially life-threatening disorders, such as strokes or tumors.


Your doctor will need detailed information about your symptoms to diagnose the cause of your numbness. A variety of tests may be needed to confirm the cause before appropriate treatment can begin.

  1. Acoustic neuroma
  2. Alcoholism or chronic alcohol use
  3. Amyloidosis
  4. Brachial plexus injury
  5. Brain aneurysm
  6. Brain AVM — abnormal connections between blood vessels in the brain
  7. (both cancerous and noncancerous)
  8. Carpal tunnel syndrome
  9. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
  10. Diabetes
  11. Fabry’s disease
  12. Guillain-Barre syndrome
  13. Herniated disk
  14. Leprosy
  15. Lyme disease
  16. Multiple sclerosis
  17. Paraneoplastic syndromes of the nervous system
  18. Peripheral nerve compression (ulnar or peroneal nerves)
  19. Peripheral neuropathy
  20. Raynaud’s disease
  21. Shingles
  22. Side effects of chemotherapy or anti-HIV drugs
  23. Sjogren’s syndrome
  24. Spinal cord injury
  25. Syphilis
  26. Thoracic aortic aneurysm
  27. Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
  28. Uremia
  29. Vasculitis (blood vessel inflammation)
  30. Vitamin B-12 deficiency



WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR


Numbness can have a variety of causes. Most are harmless, but some can be life-threatening.


Call 911 or go to the emergency room if your numbness:

  • Begins suddenly

  • Follows a recent head injury

  • Involves an entire arm or leg


Also seek emergency medical care if your numbness is accompanied by:

  • Weakness or paralysis

  • Confusion

  • Difficulty talking

  • Dizziness

  • Sudden, severe headache


You are likely to have a CT scan or MRI if:

  • You’ve had a head injury

  • Your doctor suspects or needs to rule out a brain tumor or stroke


Schedule an office visit if your numbness:

  • Begins or worsens gradually

  • Affects both sides of the body

  • Comes and goes

  • Seems related to certain tasks or activities, particularly repetitive motions

  • Affects only a part of a limb, such as your toes or fingers