The reasons why our hands and feet go numb can be among the most diverse.
Numbness of the hands PHOTO: Archive
Anxiety, infections in the body, vitamin deficiency, toxins accumulated from medicines or long-term alcohol consumption. All of these can be causes that lead to numbness in the limbs, according to Patient 2.0.
Numbness in the hands and feet can also mask more serious conditions such as diabetic neuropathy, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney failure, peripheral artery disease, multiple sclerosis or stroke. But, the numbness of the hands and feet is not the only sign of these conditions, but only one of them. But, every condition has other symptoms besides this one.
Vitamin deficiency
Vitamins B1, B6, B9, B12 and E are important for nerve health. If you lack them in your body because, no, you don’t give them to you, or if you suffer from some condition that does not allow the body to absorb them, then this may be the cause of your numbness. Vegetarians and vegans, for example, would need to supplement with vitamin B12 (which naturally occurs in animal products), because its lack in the diet can cause neurological damage, and numbness is their sign.
Long-term alcohol consumption
Alcohol abuse for years leads to the development of peripheral neuropathy, the symptoms of which are numbness and tingling. It is a condition that progresses gradually.
Exposure to toxins
So the cause of numbness can also be ingestion or exposure to neurotoxic chemicals found in solvents, glues, antifreeze or heavy metals such as mercury, lead, thallium or arsenic.
Treatments with some drugs
Certain drugs have tingling in the hands or feet as a side effect, and here we are primarily talking about drugs used in chemotherapy, in antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection, but also in drugs for the treatment of heart conditions, hypertension, diabetes, infections or convulsions .
Anxiety
People suffering from anxiety may hyperventilate (breathe very rapidly), an imbalance between carbon dioxide and oxygen levels occurs, and this can cause tingling in the legs.
Infections
Certain infections cause inflammation of the nerves, and the inflammation leads to tingling in the hands or feet. We are talking about infections such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, shingles and Lyme disease.
Diabetic neuropathy
High blood sugar (a problem for people with diabetes) affects the nerves. And then it seriously damages them, which is the basis of the onset of diabetic neuropathy.
Rheumatoid arthritis
It is an autoimmune condition that causes inflammation and pain in the joints, often in the hands, but can also affect other parts of the body, including the feet. Inflammation, because it puts pressure on the nerves, also leads to numbness. Kidney failure When the kidneys don’t work properly, fluids and waste build up in the body, leading to nerve damage. This is the mechanism that explains the numbness.
Peripheral arterial disease
It affects the circulatory system, causing the blood vessels to narrow, and this leads to poor circulation, which can cause tingling in the feet or hands. Multiple sclerosis is a disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, and numbness or tingling in the legs are early symptoms.
Stroke
Similarly, tingling in the feet or hands can be a sign, but the “package” of symptoms that appear suddenly also includes numbness or weakness in the face (especially on one side), confusion, problems speaking, understanding and movement, blurred vision, dizziness, loss of balance and coordination.
