Numbness of the facial skin: causes of insensitivity of the skin area

A sedentary lifestyle is the scourge of modern man. More and more people work in offices and spend the whole day at the computer, and prefer computer games or watching movies to active walks and sports. Staying in one position for many hours leads to compression of nerve endings, slows blood circulation and provokes numbness of the skin on the leg. Discomfort begins with a tingling or crawling sensation, then the skin on the leg loses sensitivity.

Short-term loss of sensation in the skin of the legs is rarely a cause for concern, but if numbness occurs regularly, you should consult a doctor. Such a symptom may indicate the development of the disease. It all starts with a tingling sensation or “goosebumps”, then the skin on the leg loses sensitivity.

Effective methods to eliminate numbness of the skin on the leg

Causes and symptoms of numbness

Numbness due to trigeminal neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia is a very common pathology that occurs when the trigeminal nerve is irritated or compressed externally or in the skull. It is caused by the formation and growth of tumors, expansion of intracranial veins and arteries, adhesions after injuries, and inflammation in the sinuses. Characteristic symptoms for this disease: severe pain in the eyes, ears, nose; numbness and tingling of the face on the side where the pathology develops.
Bell's palsy, which is the most common form of facial paralysis. The disease often occurs with viral infections such as herpes or meningitis, resulting in inflammation of the nerve, causing numbness in the facial area.
Infringement, irritation and damage to the maxillary and mandibular, as well as optic nerves.
A stroke in which blood vessels rupture and become blocked, reducing the flow of oxygen to the brain, leading to tingling and numbness in the face.
Brain tumors leading to pinching of nerve endings, which leads to tissue paresthesia. In this case, there may also be disturbances in coordination and movement, headache, increased intracranial pressure, visual disturbances, general weakness, decreased appetite, and weight loss.
Multiple sclerosis, which is an autoimmune disease that causes cells in the human body to damage nerve cells. This pathological process causes the destruction of the protective covering of nerve fibers, called myelin. In this case, the patient experiences numbness of the face and limbs.
Pathological conditions that cause numbness of the skin and facial tissues include: panic disorders (episodic paroxysmal anxiety), constant stress, prolonged depression, hyperventilation. They can lead to a transient ischemic attack, one of the symptoms of which is facial numbness.
Migraine aura, which is accompanied by paresthesia of certain areas of the skin and is a harbinger of such a serious headache as migraine.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical or thoracic spine, which leads to impaired circulation of the brain and face.
Vegetative-vascular dystonia, accompanied by headache and vascular instability.
Herniated discs of the cervical spine, most often developing after injuries and in obese people.
Shingles, which leads not only to paresthesia, but also to the appearance of a rash and redness on the numb area of the skin.
Numbness of the facial skin is sometimes caused by taking certain medications that alter the functions of neurotransmitters (amino acids, peptides, monoamines).
In some cases, numbness of the facial skin is the result of a cold allergy, which occurs in the autumn-winter period.

Serious symptoms include spontaneous emptying of the bladder or bowel, loss of speech and motor function. If paresthesia occurs due to injury to the back, head, or neck, you must urgently seek medical help.

Sometimes the face goes numb if the correct work and rest regime is not followed. Thus, during prolonged handicrafts or prolonged work at the computer in one position, there is a violation of blood circulation and contact of nerve impulses, leading to paresthesia of the body and face.

Causes and diseases associated with numbness of the skin of the legs

Problems with soft tissues on the legs are associated with many factors and irritants. Fatigue, uncomfortable shoes, allergies are harmful to the skin of the feet and cause discomfort. Symptoms:

The pain is barely noticeable, aching, or severe, in which it seems that the skin on the leg is numb;
Sharp tingling, burning and goosebumps;
Partial or complete numbness, accompanied by cold and chills. Stiff legs do not obey, the sensations persist after some time;
Loss of sensitivity - an area of the skin becomes numb and cannot feel. Numbness of the skin on the thighs, on which a book or laptop has been lying for a long time.

When you feel symptoms, change your position, walk around, and rub your stiff limb. Light exercise, massage or physical exercise will disperse stagnant blood and relieve discomfort. If they appear regularly and do not go away, this is a manifestation of the disease.

Diseases of the cardiovascular system - vascular insufficiency, obstructed blood flow, blockage of blood vessels, varicose veins.
Diseases that cause disturbances in the functioning of the musculoskeletal system - radiculitis-type diseases, post-traumatic effects, pinched nerves.
Metabolic diseases - gout.

Numbness of the skin of the left leg is a manifestation of a micro-stroke or heart disease. Numbness in both legs is a change in the sensitivity of the nerve endings.

Metabolic disorders are dangerous. Without special tools and equipment it is difficult to determine. Metabolic disorders lead to foot disease - gout.

The disease is best treated in the early stages, when no damage has been done and treatment is limited to supporting the body. He will do the work himself, avoiding negative consequences. Some diseases become active under certain circumstances, others do not cause inconvenience, and others cannot be determined without research.

Such a disease is gout - “the disease of kings”. It is provoked by metabolic disorders - purines. In this case, uric acid in the blood leads to the formation of salt deposits - urates. The disease can greatly harm the body,

Gout received a bad reputation because consuming unhealthy, fatty, purine-rich foods and alcoholic beverages increased the risk of its occurrence. Without proper treatment, gout manifests itself symptomatically and visually: subcutaneous lumps on the thighs, knee joints and big toes.

By consulting a doctor at the first signs of illness, you can avoid consequences. If you experience joint pain, heaviness in your legs and numb skin on your toe, you should visit a doctor. Treatment of gout, in addition to medications, involves a strict diet and procedures.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of the causes of facial numbness can be carried out using a variety of research methods. It could be:

a blood test that helps identify iron deficiency and pernicious anemia (lack of vitamin B12);
radiography to detect osteochondrosis, herniated discs and other diseases;
computed tomography, which can reveal abnormalities in the skeletal system and brain;
ultrasound examination, which helps determine the state of the cardiovascular system;
nuclear magnetic resonance, used to determine the condition of the spinal cord and brain;
electroneuromyography, used to identify the location of nerve damage.

The motivating reason for contacting a doctor should be numbness, which appears periodically for no apparent reason or is permanent. A consultation with a neurologist is also necessary if:

against the background of numbness, dizziness and general weakness are observed;
the person cannot speak normally;
paresthesia occurred after injury to the head or neck.

To clarify the diagnosis, in some cases it is necessary to consult with other specialists, such as a dentist or traumatologist.

Dizziness

These symptoms occur when organs that provide balance suffer (inner ear, cochleovestibular nerve, brain stem, cerebellum) and are often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The appearance of dizziness and unsteadiness indicates the inability of the nervous system to correctly navigate in space and maintain the body’s center of gravity within the area of support. Hence the risk of falling.

Damage to the inner ear and cochleovestibular (auditory and vestibular) nerve or vestibular ataxia is accompanied by severe dizziness with a feeling of spinning, nausea and vomiting. This kind of dizziness is called systemic. Typically, dizziness increases after changing body position (standing or lying down), turning or tilting the head. The inner ear and cochleovestibular nerve often suffer from neuroinfections and inflammatory processes in the throat and paranasal sinuses. It is also possible to experience hearing loss similar to sensorineural hearing loss.

Damage to the cerebellum (cerebellar ataxia) , in addition to systemic dizziness, is often manifested by intention tremor , i.e. trembling of the arms and legs when trying to make an accurate movement, when approaching the target (for example, when hitting a lock with a key). Usually we have to deal with damage to the cerebellum in multiple sclerosis, chronic alcohol intoxication and cerebrovascular accident. In the case of vascular disorders, the picture may be complemented by transient or permanent visual impairment due to the commonality of the cerebellar circulatory system and the visual cortex.

Balance imbalance due to sensitivity disorder (sensitive ataxia) occurs due to a deficiency of information signals coming from sensory receptors of muscles and joints. In this case, the brain is not provided with complete data about the spatial position of various parts of the body, hence the disorder of balance and coordination of movements. Sensitive ataxia is a typical symptom of polyneuropathy. A characteristic sign is unsteadiness to the point of falling with the eyes closed or in the dark, when it is difficult to use vision for spatial coordination.

Frontal ataxia (gait ataxia) occurs when the anterior parts of the cerebral hemispheres are damaged and is manifested by a loss of walking skill in the absence of systemic dizziness and with preserved strength in the legs. This is possible with neuroinfections, multiple sclerosis, circulatory disorders, tumors, alcoholism and other diseases.

The basis of treatment for dizziness and balance disorders is the correct identification of the cause and its elimination. Therefore, treatment in our clinic will begin with clarifying the cause of what is happening . In most cases, dizziness and unsteadiness can be significantly reduced or eliminated altogether.

Therapy

Treatment for this pathological condition is determined depending on the cause that caused it. The doctor selects treatment methods based on the results obtained when diagnosing the patient’s condition. The easiest way to eliminate numbness is if it is caused by incorrect posture while working or sleeping.

Treatment of numbness with acupuncture

If your face is numb due to cold allergies, you should not only insulate yourself well, but also apply special creams to your facial skin that protect it from the negative effects of low temperatures. Also, in frosty weather, the skin of the face should be well powdered, creating a protective layer.

If facial numbness is caused by vitamin deficiency and a lack of micro- and macroelements, they can be replenished quite quickly with the help of various complex vitamins. To prevent this from happening in the future, it is necessary to regularly take brewer's yeast with minerals and vitamins.

What is sensitive facial skin

The skin is sensitive when regular, diffuse reddish spots, peeling, inflammatory processes, itching, and burning appear on it. This is the body's response to external/internal stimuli.

In medicine, cases have been recorded in which hypersensitivity was detected in people. They can react painfully to any slightest irritant. Their vessel walls are too thin and fragile, which is why the capillaries have increased permeability. Cuperosis also refers to this skin problem. In case of illness, a network of vessels located under the skin, having a reddish or bluish tint, is clearly visible on the skin.

Prevention

To prevent facial paresthesia, you should adhere to the following rules:

Do not stay in one position for a long period of time.
Regularly perform physical exercises to improve the condition of the musculoskeletal system and blood supply to tissues.
In the cold season, avoid drafts, hypothermia, and frostbite of the skin.
Take B vitamins and minerals regularly. Stick to a healthy diet.
Promptly treat any diseases leading to paresthesia.

Numbness of the facial skin can be one of the symptoms of a very serious disease, so if it appears, you should consult a neurologist who will determine the cause of this pathological condition and prescribe appropriate therapy.

Skin sensitivity disorders

Anesthesia

Complete loss of one or another type of sensitivity. There are pain anesthesia (analgesia), temperature anesthesia (thermanesthesia), and muscle-articular anesthesia (batyanesthesia). The loss of the sense of localization is called topanesthesia, and the loss of the stereognostic sense is called astereognosis. There is also total anesthesia, when all types of sensitivity disappear.

Hypesthesia

Decreased sensitivity, decreased intensity. It can also concern other types of sensitivity.

Hyperesthesia

An increase in the perception of sensitivity occurs due to a decrease in the threshold of excitability of sensitive points of the skin.

Dissociation

Splitting of sensitivity is an isolated loss of some types of sensitivity while maintaining other types in the same area. Dissociation occurs when the dorsal horns and anterior white commissure of the spinal cord are affected.

Qualitative disorders of surface sensitivity are associated with distortion of the content of perceived information and manifest themselves clinically:

hyperpathy;
dysesthesia;
polyesthesia;
synesthesia;
allocheiria.

Loss or decrease in skin sensitivity may be a symptom of the following diseases:

In dermatology and cosmetology, sensitive facial skin usually refers to allergies. This phenomenon is characterized by redness of the facial skin with varying degrees of color, irritable rashes, and itching. The cosmetics industry produces a number of products for skin care with special sensitivity.