Do you regularly experience unpleasant tingling sensations in your hands or feet? In medical terminology, it is called paresthesia. Although it is generally harmless, it can be a common occurrence, and it is best to discuss it with your doctor. Here is a brief overview.

Paresthesia, derived from the Greek words “para” and “aesthesia,” meaning abnormality and sensation, respectively, is a disorder of touch. We usually speak of a “tingling” sensation. This symptom can indicate a simple circulatory disorder or a stroke.

Definition: What is paresthesia?

Paresthesia is a sensory disorder: it manifests itself as a tingling and numbness sensation, usually felt in certain extremities, especially the hands, feet, and legs. It is usually caused by prolonged poor posture, but can also be a sign of an underlying medical condition or a precursor to a stroke.

Tingling in the legs, arms, hands, fingers… What are the symptoms of paresthesia?

It is a tingling, numbness or prickling sensation on the surface of the epidermis, resulting from damage to the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system or sensory receptors. To understand the mechanism of paresthesia, it is first necessary to note that the nerve signal is generated at the level of sensory receptors before being transmitted along nerve fibers to the brain, where it will be decoded and interpreted in the form of sensations. In most cases, tingling is felt in the fingers and toes, but it can also occur in all well-innervated areas of the human body, such as the genital and anal areas.

What are the different types of paresthesia?

There are two main types of paresthesia, each with a completely different cause. Thus, episodic or temporary paresthesia usually occurs due to intense exposure to cold or hyperventilation syndrome. Tingling can also occur when an inappropriate body position is held for too long and puts pressure on a nerve. In this case, it is enough to simply remove the pressure from the nerve and the tingling will disappear. This often happens during sleep.

Chronic paresthesia persists over time and may indicate the presence of pathology of varying severity, which should be diagnosed through various medical examinations.

Paresthesia: What causes tingling in the hands, feet, or face?

When the tingling sensation becomes chronic, it needs to be treated with medication, as it is likely to have a pathological origin. There are several provoking factors:

Carpal tunnel syndrome: The median nerve is responsible for sensation in the pads of the thumb, index, and middle fingers. When pressed too hard, it causes a burning and tingling sensation that can radiate into the forearm;

Spasmophilia: hyperventilation and muscle spasms seen during an attack can cause tingling in the hands and around the mouth;

Hypoglycemia: paresthesia is one of the potential manifestations of low blood sugar;

hyperthyroidism: tingling is a symptom of excessive thyroid hormone production;

stroke: tingling is a sign of poor circulation;

Diabetic neuropathy: paresthesias occur due to damage to peripheral nerves caused by hyperglycemia;

Multiple sclerosis: Paresthesia is one of the manifestations of sensory degeneration associated with this disease, which affects the central nervous system.

Frequent tingling in the extremities: when should you worry?

Although we all experience tingling sensations from time to time, paresthesia that persists, recurs regularly, or worsens should be the subject of a medical consultation with your family doctor. If necessary, the healthcare professional will recommend specific medical examinations to determine the origin of this symptom: blood tests, lumbar puncture, X-rays, arm strength tests, etc.

What are the treatments for paresthesia? What medications are recommended?

There is no specific treatment for paresthesia. Determining the underlying pathology is the starting point for therapeutic management.

How to treat tingling with natural remedies?

However, people who suffer from premature ejaculation often turn to homeopathy to relieve the discomfort they experience. You can consult a homeopathic doctor or pharmacist to learn about homeopathic treatments that can help relieve the urge to ejaculate.