What causes numbness in legs?

 

Contents

 1 numbness of the legs

 2 causes of numbness in the legs

 3 Diagnosis of numbness in the legs

 4 treatment for numbness in the legs

 Leg numbness

Leg numbness is defined as the feeling of tingling and numbness in the legs, and in fact this feeling may occur in different parts of the body, as it can be accidental as a result of pressure on the nerves of the legs as a result of a certain position of sitting for a long time, or it may be pathological due to a number of reasons. Such as exposure to direct trauma that damages the nerve, or as a result of chronic diseases such as diabetes.

Causes of numbness in the legs

 Numbness often occurs as a result of injury to the peripheral nerves; It is rare that numbness occurs as a result of injury to the central nervous system, and it is also rare that the cause of numbness is a serious health problem such as stroke and tumors.

 Among the main reasons that lead to numbness in the legs are the following:

 Multiple Sclerosis

 This disease occurs as a result of the immune system destroying the myelin membrane that covers the nerve fibers, and patients vary in the appearance and severity of symptoms according to the affected nerve and the number of affected nerves. General fatigue, slurred speech, and dizziness. It is worth noting that most people with multiple sclerosis suffer from periods when symptoms are intensified, and others in which they disappear.

 Metabolic Neuropathy:

It is a group of diseases that affect the peripheral nervous system and are associated with problems in metabolic processes such as hypothyroidism, liver diseases, in addition to diabetes, which is the most common metabolic neuropathy. The numbness in the legs due to metabolic neuropathy gets worse at night.

fibromyalgia:

It is defined as a muscle disorder; It is considered one of the most common causes of foot numbness. Out of every 4 patients, one suffers from numbness in his lower limbs, in addition to other symptoms of the disease such as muscle fatigue, memory and sleep problems.

 Vitamin B12 deficiency:

 Animal products such as meat, fish, and eggs are rich sources of vitamin B12, as people who depend on vegetables and plant products in their diet suffer from a deficiency in this vitamin, and vitamin B12 deficiency causes vision problems, and digestive disorders such as diarrhea, constipation, in addition to The patient suffers from numbness of the legs, which in turn affects his gait.

 Spinal cord injury:

The spinal cord extends from the base of the skull to the lower border of the first lumbar vertebra (Lumbar 1 vertebra). Loss of sensation of heat and cold, and numbness in the extremities, particularly in the toes.

 Vasculitis:

Any change that occurs to the walls of blood vessels from narrowing or weakness is an important reason for reducing blood flow to the various organs of the body, which results in damage to one or more organs; This affects the body’s functions in general, as patients with vasculitis suffer from headaches and fever, in addition to numbness of the limbs and general fatigue, and the severity of symptoms varies depending on the severity of the ischemia of the affected organ.

 Stroke

 Stroke occurs as a result of ischemia of one part of the brain, and this affects the amount of food and oxygen necessary for its life, and it is considered an emergency medical condition that requires the patient to be transferred to the emergency immediately at the beginning of the symptoms of stroke, and these symptoms include slurred speech, sudden headache, in addition It leads to imbalance and walking, and numbness in the legs, and stroke is one of the diseases that can be prevented by refraining from smoking, staying away from foods saturated with fat, eating a lot of vegetables and fruits, and exercising regularly.

 Raynaud's disease:

Raynaud's disease occurs as a result of narrowing of the arteries supplying the skin, which causes poor blood supply to the skin, and thus the extremities, especially the fingers and toes, become more susceptible to numbness and extreme cold when exposed to stress or low temperatures.

The most prominent symptoms associated with Raynaud's disease are numbness of the toes, change in skin color, and cold toes, and it can be prevented by keeping the limbs warm, and not directly exposed to extreme cold.

Diagnosis of numb legs

In diagnosing numbness in the legs, the doctor depends on taking the complete medical history from the patient; Where it addresses the injuries, infections, and vaccinations that the patient has been exposed to, in addition to the diseases he suffers from, and the medications he takes, then the doctor performs a clinical examination, and orders a set of tests if necessary, such as a blood test, and checking the percentage of minerals, in addition to To check thyroid hormones, the doctor may order some radiographs such as X-rays, CT scans, and magnetic resonance imaging when the patient has any injury to the column spine.

Leg numbness treatment

 The treatment of leg numbness varies according to the cause. Although there is no treatment for genetic causes, we can control the acquired causes; If the cause of numbness is a lack of vitamins, it is recommended to use nutritional supplements to compensate for the deficiency, and accordingly, the symptoms of numbness improve significantly. If the numbness is caused by nerve damage caused by diabetes; Monitoring and controlling the level of sugar in the blood slows down the rate of damage and improves symptoms of numbness. Patients are generally advised to follow a proper diet, exercise regularly, abstain from alcohol and smoking, and maintain an ideal weight.