The Paresthesia Is a medical condition characterized by sensations of burning, numbness, peak tingling or stinging, which is usually felt in the upper extremities (arms and hands) and lower (legs and feet) (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2015) .
It usually occurs on a hand or foot and does not usually cause pain. Patients frequently report in clinical consultations feelings of Numbness, tingling, and numbness in the hands, legs, arms, face, feet or other parts of the body (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2015).
These types of sensations may be transient or permanent. In most cases, it is a temporary pathology that is usually Be caused by the existence of pressure on any of the nerves. However, it can also be a symptom of acquired injury or a wide variety Of diseases or disorders that cause damage to the nervous system.
These sensitive symptoms, especially in the upper limbs, are often a frequent reason for consultation in primary care services. In In most cases, it is due to the development of a degenerative or Neuropathies By entrapment of nerves.
Because they are about symptoms Mild and unexplained, in many cases, an incomplete evaluation tends to be performed, underestimating some of the symptoms that may be Alarm signals of other more severe pathologies (Barrio Ruiz and Mendoza Lanjaine, 2013).
What is paraesthesia?
At different times, many of us after sitting for a while with our legs crossed or if we lean for a long time on one arm, We feel a tingling sensation or say that we"fall asleep"a foot or an arm. We experienced a paraesthesia ie, pricking sensation, Numbness or burning, by the foot or by the arm, annoying without causing pain.
The stimulation and sensations of the different parts of our body are transported by the peripheral nerves to the spinal cord . Since the Spinal nerves, signals are conveyed to the brain through the brainstem. In this way, some interruption in this signaling pathway May result in the development of paresthesia (Sharif-Alhoseini et al., 2012).
Therefore, these types of annoying sensations occur as a result of pressure on certain nerves.
In addition, they can occur as a result of different conditions, diseases, or disorders that are going to cause nerve damage. Some of the causes Can be: brain tumor, stroke, anemia, encephalitis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, peripheral neuropathy, among others.
Symptoms of paresthesia
People with paresthesia often describe the symptoms and signs they feel through multiple terms. Among them we can highlight: Burning, numbness, itching and / or tingling.
Many patients refer to symptoms such as:
- " Abnormal sensations such as itching, pins and needles ".
- " I notice burning and itching of hands and feet ".
- " I feel the padded hands and I find it difficult to move them ".
Symptoms usually occur more often in the arms, legs, hands and feet, but may also occur in other parts of the body.
Paresthesia is usually a symptom of other diseases, conditions or neurological disorders, so that paresthesia can also give Some of the following symptoms:
- Shudder.
- Fallen foot.
- Dysarthria .
- Numbness.
- Muscular atrophy.
- Ocular dysmetria.
- Restless leg syndrome .
- Difficulty getting to sleep.
- Tingling sensation in the skin.
In spite of this symptomatic description, these will vary depending on the nerves that are involved and the severity of the alteration. By For example, the pressure of the ulnar nerve can cause paresthesia in the little finger and in various areas of the hand.
How long does paresthesia last?
It is normal for paresthesia to be present in a temporary Due to any activity or position exerting a prolonged pressure on One or more nerves. It is frequent to appear when crossing the legs, when sitting for a prolonged time, to sleep leaning on one of the Upper extremities, etc. Therefore, annoying sensations often disappear when the pressure is relieved.
However, it can also be presented more severely and even Permanent / chronic Due to orthopedic disorders or conditions Neurological disorders that cause permanent damage to the nervous system. In addition, in more than one case, paresthesia is a primary manifestation of some type of Severe disease
Causes of Paresthesia
Causes of transient paresthesia
The temporary condition will cause a tingling and / or numbness that disappears quickly. Some are the causes described below (Sharif-Alhoseini et al., 2012):
- "Obdormition" : By this term we mean the numbness that occurs as a result of prolonged pressure on a nerve. The Recovery is immediate.
- Cervical whipping : After the presentation of this type of pathologies, lesions in the soft tissue of the neck can cause sensations Paresthetics. Recovery is usually gradual over a period of six months.
- Hyperventilation Syndrome : Sensations of paresthesia may appear in approximately 35% of patients, only three minutes after
Begin hyperventilation. - Panic attacks : Paresthesias in the mouth, hands and feet are frequently associated with panic attacks and hyperventilation.
- Transient ischemic attack : Certain conditions such as thrombosis or embolism can interrupt the normal flow of oxygen to the nervous system and Thus temporarily (or permanently) affecting the nerve pathways.
- Seizures Sensations of numbness and numbness may occur during and after a partial seizure. The Stimulation of the vagus nerve in the anticonvulsive treatment can also cause some of these symptoms.
- Dehydration : Significant loss of body water can also lead to paresthesia.
- Circulatory insufficiency : Some circulatory disorders may temporarily (or permanent) affect the nerves and therefore cause Paresthesia.
Causes of prolonged or chronic paresthesia
When the symptoms of paresthesia begin to appear regularly or intermittently it could be indicative of a more serious problem. Generally, it is Sign of a neurological disease or traumatic injury (Sharif-Alhoseini et al., 2012).
Usually, it often appears due to an infection, inflammation, trauma or abnormal process that affects the nerves. It is less common than Is associated with disorders that endanger the life of the individual; however, it can occur due to the suffering of cerebrovascular disorders And / or tumors (Sharif-Alhoseini et al., 2012).
- Nervous System Disorders : It is frequent that this pathology is present associated with alterations in both the central nervous system and peripheral.
-SNC: stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, Lacunar infarcts , Brain tumors, cranioencephalic trauma, encephalitis / meinguitis, abscesses, Lumbar stenosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis, lumbar puncture, vitamin B12 deficiency, etc.
-SNP: peripheral neuropathy, treatment neuropathy, carpal tunnel syndrome, lateral femoral cutaneous syndrome, femoral neuropathy, tunnel syndrome Tarsal, sciatica, disc herniation, cervical spondylosis, pressure paralysis, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disorder, amyloid neuropathy, neuralgia, etc.
- Circulatory Disorders : Insufficient supply of blood can lead to both transient and permanent paraesthesia. Among them May be due to arterial, venous or neurogenic syndromes.
- Metabolic disorders : Among them we can find diabetes, alcoholism, Hypoglycemia , Hypothyroidism , Hypoparathyroidism, menopause , Levels Abnormal calcium / potassium / sodium, uremia , Amyloidosis , etc.
- Infectious processes Herpes simplex virus , Herpes zoster virus , Cold sores , Lyme disease , human immunodeficiency virus, leprosy , syphilis , Guillain-Barré Syndrome , Rabies, etc.
- Autoimmune Disorders rheumatoid arthritis , lupus , Sjogren's syndrome , Anemia, diabetes, arthritis , Fibromyalgia , Nutritional deficiency.
- Vitamin deficiencies : B12, b1, b5, b6.
- Other factors : Alcoholism, tobacco consumption, drugs of abuse, heavy metals, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, etc.
Prognosis of people with paresthesia
The transient processes usually disappear when the pressure is reversed however, the treatment of the chronic processes involves the treatment of The etiological pathologies that will be different for each of them.
In addition, paraesthesia may in turn cause different complications in the underlying disease or disorder. Many people with paresthesia may Show difficulties in branding, ambulation, or difficulty gripping.
Because it is a pathology that affects the nervous system there is a risk of suffering from chronic pain, disability, difficult to Respiration, paralysis and therefore a bad quality of life .
On the other hand, when the sensitivity is significantly affected, some individuals may be unable to perceive some lesions as A wound or burn, putting their lives at risk in some cases. In addition, numbness of the legs and feet, and especially the loss of Sensitivity can greatly increase the risk of falls.
Diagnosis
The therapeutic intervention will focus primarily on the identification of the condition that causes paresthesia. The use of history Clinic, physical examination and different laboratory tests, will be essential for its determination.
In addition, it will also be important to determine whether it is a transitional or chronic process because of the implications that the latter may have for the Integrity of the nervous system of the individual.
Some of the questions that must be answered are:
- Where do you notice annoying or drowsy sensations?
- When did you start to perceive them?
- How long do you feel them?
- Do you do some kind of activity that causes it?
Treatment for paresthesia
The choice of treatment for this condition will depend to a large extent on the cause that is causing it.
If the paraesthesia is of transitory type, it will be useful to use mediated ones that try to restore the circulation through the exercise, Massage T the Stretching of the limb that is affected. These actions will cause the tingling and numbness sensation to disappear Progressive
In the case of the prolonged presence of paresthesia, when due to secondary pathological causes, the treatment will be directed to the treatment of the Etiological diseases and the relief of symptoms. Some professionals recommend the use of anti-inflammatories such as Ibuprofen wave aspirin Under medical prescription when the symptoms are mild.
Apart from these, non-pharmacological interventions are being developed, including nutritional regulation, exercise Consumption of alcohol or tobacco, which can help the patient to control the discomfort derived from his symptoms.
CONCLUSIONS
Paresthesia is a condition that can affect thousands of people daily, especially those who perform their work sitting or Limit their mobility significantly.
In addition, in many cases the adoption of abnormal postures during sleep can cause an alteration of this And thus provoke feelings of lack of sleep or sleepy episodes of repair.
When sensations of numbness and / or numbness occur on a prolonged basis, it is essential that a medical examination be requested because May be suggestive of the presence of a neurological pathology that endangers the life of the person.
References
- Barrio Ruiz, C., & Mendoza Lanjaine, P. (2013). Patient with paresthesias: that the frequent does not make us forget the important thing. FMC, 20 (4).
- Disabled World. (2016). Paresthesia: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosing & Treatment . Obtained from Disabled World towards tomorrow.
- Health Grades. (2014). Paresthesia . Obtained from Right Diagnosis from Healthgrades.
- Olobot. (2016). Paresthesia . Obtained from Olobot HEALTH Medical center Spanish.
- Paresthesia . (2016). Obtained from parestesia.org.
- Health Back. (2015). Paresthesia . Obtained from Health Back.
- Sharif-Al Hosseini, M., Rahimi-Movaghar, V., & Vaccaro, A. (2012). Underlying Causes of Paresthesia.