Numbness in a person's limbs can be a sign of a serious illness. However, on the other hand, paresthesia of the legs and arms does not always indicate 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 not to worry?
Unpleasant sensations such as tingling and numbness of the fingers and toes, burning and "goosebumps" in the limbs in medicine are called paresthesia. Often, these symptoms occur as a result of a short compression of the nerves due to an uncomfortable posture. In this case, paresthesia is most often unilateral, that is, there is numbness and tingling of the right arm or, for example, the left leg.
For example, a person sits for a long time, bending his lower limbs, or sleeps 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 on to the handrail for a long time with his right or left hand. As a resultswelling of the upper extremities occurs. In this case, numbness and tingling of the left hand, as well as the right, can be eliminated as follows: straighten the hand, change the position of the body and wait a bit until the condition returns to normal.
That is, special treatment of 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 a specialist consultation is required. Based on the examination, the doctor prescribes additional research methods, and then adequate treatment.
Spine problems
Numbness and tingling of the fingers can indicate serious problems such as osteochondrosis or intervertebral hernia.
In the first disease, growths on the vertebrae 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 discomfort is nerve compression. Most often, strangulation occurs on one side, for example, on the left, which is why there is numbness and tingling of the left hand.
Hemodynamic disorder
Paresthesia can be one of the first signs of a stroke or vascular problems. These unhe althy conditions are caused mostly by hypertension or atherosclerosis. And tingling in the hands and numbness of the limbs can becaused 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, since the causes of such an ailment may be too serious.
Factors of leg numbness
The etiology of paresthesia of the lower extremities of a person can be both diseases of the body and an unhe althy lifestyle.
Most often, tingling and numbness in the legs appears with such he alth problems:
- Osteochondrosis.
- Neuropathy - damage to the nerve endings in the lower extremities.
- Herniated disc.
- Reine's disease. This disease 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 spasms.
- Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease of the joints, in which deformation of the knees occurs, nerves are compressed. This ailment is also accompanied by severe pain and swelling in the legs.
- Multiple sclerosis, which is characterized by stiffening of the tissues of the spinal cord and brain. At the same time, the person has pain in the legs, the limbs go numb.
- Atherosclerosis. This diagnosis is most often made in people over 50 years of age. During this disease, tingling and numbness in the legs occur, and the patient also complains of weakness and fatigue.
Lack of nutrients and vitamins
Very commonthe cause of paresthesia of the extremities is the deficiency of certain substances that are very important for the normal functioning of the body. 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 further monitor the desired content in the body.
Pregnancy
Women in position often experience tingling and numbness in their legs. However, you should not be scared and look for possible diseases accompanied by such a symptom. This is a normal phenomenon, which is associated with changes occurring in the body of a pregnant woman: an excess of fluid occurs, as a result of which the limbs may swell. In addition, the heart also works for the baby, the blood volume increases, which leads to hemodynamic disturbances. A pregnant woman in this case 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 lower limb paresthesia
After the cause of numbness is identified and an accurate diagnosis is made, the patient should follow all the doctor's recommendations. In addition, there is a whole range of activities that relieve leg fatigue, tension in the spine, and eliminate numbness of the limbs. You should remember or even write down such simple tricks that will help overcome paresthesia:
1. Sports. Cycling, swimming, regular walking andother types of similar exercises will help get rid of numbness and tingling of the legs and arms, as well as develop the spine.
2. A he althy lifestyle that includes quitting smoking and alcohol. If a person takes alcohol or smokes, a spasm of blood vessels occurs in the body. As a result, there is tingling and numbness in the legs and arms, cramps and other unwanted symptoms.
3. Proper nutrition. The main component of the diet should be warm cereals - oatmeal, buckwheat, pearl barley. Also, do not forget about fresh vegetables and fruits.
4. It is impossible to allow hypothermia of the body in the cold season.
5. contrast baths. Daily treatments with hot and cold water will ease the physical condition of the legs. To do this, you need to alternately lower the limbs for half a minute in a container with the most heated, and then with an icy liquid. The procedure should be carried out in the morning and in the evening, and after such a bath, you should lubricate your legs 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 disease. After all, often the wrong posture can be the reason for the appearance of "goosebumps", and then no treatment is required. However, if tingling and numbness appear frequently, then a person needs to see a doctor to find out the cause of such symptoms and overcome them in time.ailment.
