Summary of the Disease
There are some medical conditions that can be felt by most people, even on a daily basis, due to a number of causes. Typically, there is no reason to worry because eliminating the cause is easy, and after that, the symptoms disappear as well. However, in some cases, it is necessary to seek a doctor’s help. One such medical condition is paresthesia which can be described as a prickling or burning feeling (Doh et al. 177). This sensation typically occurs in a person’s feet, legs, arms, or hands, but it is also possible to feel it in other parts of the body.
Paresthesia usually happens suddenly, does not cause any pain, and may be described as itching, skin-crawling, numbness, or tingling. This condition is also referred to as a feeling of “pins and needles” and can be temporarily experienced by most persons (Doh et al. 177). Usually, it occurs after falling asleep with a crooked leg or arm or sitting with legs crossed for an extended period of time (Doh et al. 177). Once a person changes their position, they feel this numbness or itching sensation, which disappears after several minutes.
Though paresthesia, in most cases, is just a strange but harmless feeling that all people experience from time to time, it can also be a cause or symptom of a more serious and dangerous disease. Since an issue causes this condition with one’s nerves, this issue can be extremely severe and require medical help (Doh et al. 178). Therefore, it is necessary for people to be careful with this sensation and consult a healthcare provider if they experience it too often or feel severe pain while getting the “pins and needles” feeling.
Physiology of the Disease
As mentioned above, paresthesia is a common condition that may occur after sitting or lying in the same position for a long time. One may be interested in the reason that causes this odd sensation. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “it happens when sustained pressure is placed on a nerve,” and “the feeling quickly goes away once the pressure is relieved.” The occurrence of paresthesia usually means that a nerve is highly irritated, and the strange feeling itself is the nerve sending signals so that the cause of irritation can be eliminated. The squeezed nerve cannot get glucose and oxygen because the arteries are also under pressure (Ferreira et al. 1). Therefore, after this pressure is removed, the odd feeling of numbness or itching occurs as the nerve cells begin to send impulses.
Pathophysiology of the Disease
At the same time, as indicated above, the itching or tingling sensation may sometimes mean that there are severe problems with the nerves in the body, or this feeling is a symptom of another serious disease. As the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke noticed, “paresthesia can be caused by disorders affecting the central nervous system, such as stroke and transient ischemic attacks (mini-strokes), multiple sclerosis, transverse, transverse myelitis, and encephalitis.” Further, it is also possible that either a vascular lesion or a tumor can cause this medical condition (Ferreira et al. 2). Nerve entrapment syndromes can lead to specific peripheral nerves damages, and the following paresthesia becomes extremely painful. Therefore, it is essential for people to pay attention to the causes of paresthesia and consult a specialist if they notice that this sensation is painful or does not disappear after a minute or two.
Works Cited
Doh, Re-Mee, et al. “Delayed Paresthesia of Inferior Alveolar Nerve After Dental Surgery: Case Report and Related Pathophysiology.” Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, vol. 18, no. 3, 2018, 177-182.
Ferreira, Inês, et al. “Inferior Alveolar Nerve Paresthesia Caused by Periapical Infection: A Case Report.” Journal of Dental Research, vol. 1, no. 1, 2018, 1-3.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. “Paresthesia Information Page.” NIH, 2019, Web.