Ignoring numbness, especially if persistent, can lead to serious complications like undetected injuries, infections, and ulcers, increasing risks of falls, further nerve damage, and even amputation, as you lose the ability to feel pain, temperature, or pressure in affected areas, highlighting the need to see a doctor for ongoing symptoms to prevent worsening nerve damage and underlying conditions like diabetes.
Most cases of numbness aren't serious, but severe cases can lead to complications related to not feeling pain or being unaware of what's happening to parts of your body. If you're experiencing any numbness that doesn't have a clear cause, see your healthcare provider.
If you have ongoing problems with numbness and/or tingling, you'll need to have the condition checked by a neurologist. Paresthesia or neuropathy is determined and diagnosed through a patient's medical history and a physical exam.
"This is a progressive condition that, if left untreated, can eventually cause permanent nerve damage, leading to loss of function in the body," warns Dr. Li. "Early intervention can help produce better outcomes, so it's important to recognize the signs of neuropathy and take action."
See a healthcare professional if your numbness: Begins or worsens gradually. Affects both sides of the body. Comes and goes.
Numbness red flags signal serious conditions like stroke or spinal cord issues, requiring immediate medical help if they appear suddenly with weakness, confusion, trouble speaking, dizziness, severe headache, or loss of bladder/bowel control. Other urgent signs include numbness in the saddle area (groin/buttocks), numbness in the face and body on the same side, or sudden, severe weakness and difficulty walking, indicating potential nerve compression or brain issues.
Shorting-acting local anesthetic can last 1–3 hours, long-lasting local anesthetic can last 2–5 hours, and extra long-lasting local anesthetic can last up to 8 hours. Your dentist will always consult with you whether you want the anesthetic or how profound you want the anesthesia to be.
If the underlying cause of peripheral neuropathy is not treated, you may be at risk of developing potentially serious complications, such as a foot ulcer that becomes infected. This can lead to gangrene if untreated, and in severe cases may mean the foot has to be amputated.
A common sign and symptom of neuropathy is loss or diminished sensation. A quick and easy way to test this at home is touching the 1st, 3rd and 5th toes of both feet with your index finger. This can be performed by either you or a family member.
One of the most common causes of numbness is pressure on the nerve from sitting or standing in one position for a long time. Ongoing pressure can permanently damage the nerve. Nerve injury from trauma or disease can cause temporary or more permanent numbness.
Numbness and other sensory symptoms tend to come and go for most people and usually carry a good prognosis for not becoming permanent. Often, the change in sensation occurs only along a patch of skin or in specific areas, such as one or both hands, arms, or legs.
Numbness is caused by damage, irritation or pressure on the nerves. A single nerve branch or several nerves may be affected. Examples include a slipped disk in the back or carpal tunnel syndrome in the wrist.
The first signs of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) often involve vision problems (like blurred or double vision, pain with eye movement), sensory changes (numbness, tingling, pins and needles), and balance issues (dizziness, unsteadiness). Other common early symptoms include overwhelming fatigue, muscle weakness, stiffness, spasms, cognitive difficulties (memory/concentration), and bladder/bowel problems, though symptoms vary greatly from person to person.
The signs of nerve damage include the following:
Causes
A blood test can detect conditions that may be causing peripheral neuropathy, such as diabetes, nutrient deficiencies, liver or kidney dysfunction, and abnormal immune system activity.
Stage 1: Initially, mild numbness and discomfort may manifest in the hands and feet, with a subtle sense of something feeling awry. Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy might be inconspicuous enough to overlook during this phase.
When a nerve root in the spinal cord becomes pinched, it is referred to as radiculopathy. This affects the spinal vertebrae, tendons, and intervertebral discs. Radiculopathy is often mistaken for neuropathy because both conditions cause similar symptoms, such as pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling.
A neurologist, or a physician who specializes in the treatment of disorders of the central and peripheral nervous systems, is the best physician to treat neuropathies.
Symptoms of peripheral neuropathy might include: Gradual onset of numbness, prickling, or tingling in your feet or hands. These sensations can spread upward into your legs and arms. Sharp, jabbing, throbbing or burning pain.
People are also more likely to develop peripheral neuropathy as they age. It most commonly occurs in people in their 70s and 80s. There is no cure for peripheral neuropathy, but controlling underlying conditions (like diabetes) and managing symptoms may prevent the problem from worsening.
The main cause of numbness is often due to poor blood circulation. Therefore, if numbness persists and spreads to any side of the body, it is important not to ignore it and seek medical attention immediately.
Medicines available without a prescription, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, can improve mild symptoms. Anti-seizure medicines. Medicines such as gabapentin (Gralise, Neurontin, Horizant) and pregabalin (Lyrica), developed to treat epilepsy, often improve nerve pain.