numbness

Numbness is a term used to describe a lack of ability to feel touch, temperature, or pain at some place or places in the body.

 

Different people mean different things when they use the word numb. As related to a physical complaint, most people use the term to describe a lack of ability to feel touch or pain on the surface of their bodies. In most cases, numbness is related to nerve damage, either temporary or permanent.

 

When someone complains of numbness, the healthcare professional will need to know:

 

Other questions may be asked depending on the history and physical findings.

 

There are many conditions that can cause numbness, including: diabetes mellitus, a condition in which the level of sugar in the blood is too high. This slowly damages nerves over time. Diabetic neuropathy, that is, nerve damage from diabetes, is one of the most common causes of numbness.toxins and drugs, such as alcohol, arsenic, and certain chemotherapy medications used to treat cancer injury or trauma to an area, including previous surgerycarpal tunnel syndrome, which can cause numbness in the hand from pressure on a nervevitamin deficiencies, such as lack of vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and thiamine brain damage, such as from a stroke or brain tumor cancer, especially lung cancer and breast cancer in the later stages, and blood cancers, such as multiple myeloma or lymphomainfections, such as HIV, Lyme disease, and herpes zoster hormone imbalances, such as low thyroid hormone levels called hypothyroidism, or high levels of growth hormone, sometimes called acromegaly severe liver disease, such as cirrhosis severe kidney disease, such as chronic renal failure autoimmune disorders, conditions in which a person's immune system attacks his or her own body, such as lupus, multiple sclerosis or Guillain-Barré syndrome anxiety, including a condition known as conversion disorder inherited conditions, such as a rare condition called hereditary sensory neuropathy

Prevention is related to the cause. For instance, avoiding alcohol can prevent cases due to alcohol abuse. Safer sex practices can reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of HIV infection. Many cases cannot be prevented.

In some cases, the reason for the numbness may be obvious from the history and physical exam. In other cases, further testing is needed. Blood tests can help diagnose hormone imbalances, HIV, diabetes, and other conditions. If multiple sclerosis is suspected, a special x-ray test of the brain, called a cranial MRI, may be ordered.