Hi,
By what you are describing you seem to be having a localised parasthesia (loss of sensation). There are various causes for it-
* Local injury to the nerves under the skin
* Lack of blood supply to the area
* Pressure on the nerves, caused by the following:
o Herniated disk
o Abscesses
o Arthritic bones
* Toxic action on nerves (such as the effects of lead, alcohol, and tobacco)
* Diabetes and other metabolic abnormalities
* Vitamin B12 deficiency
* Hypothyroidism
* Drugs
o Chemotherapeutic agents
o Chloroquine
o D-penicillamine
o Isoniazid
o Nitrofurantoin
o Parenteral gold therapy
o Phenytoin
* Multiple sclerosis (a less common cause of numbness)
If there is no history of injury to the affected area, then I would advise you to get a few blood tests done -
- Fasting and post prandial blood sugar (rule out diabetes)
- Thyroid function tests
Also try taking a good multivitamin to take care of any Vitamin B12 deficiency. I would advise you to get the above blood tests done and wait a few days (if the tests are normal). But you should consult a neurologist if-
- numbness lasts for longer time
- numbness is accompanied by other symptoms
For more information read-
http://www.shands.org/health/information/article/003206.htm
Please remember to accept the reply if you find it useful. A BONUS and a positive rating would be duly appreciated,
regards
Dr. Gupta
Edited by GauravMD on December 13 2005 at 1:08pm
