At some point of our life, we have prickling sensation in the hands and feet and sometimes in other parts of the body due to lack of movement. Sleeping/sitting in the same position for extended hours can block the normal blood flow at some parts causing numbness (temporary). Many things may cause numbness feeling in arms and feet for short-term, which disappears once the person resumes activity.
However we are talking about numbness or tingling sensation caused in feet and toes permanently. It is a serious condition which is known as paresthesia in medical terms. Numbness in any part of the body without any obvious reasons can be an indication for serious disease like carpel tunnel syndrome or even multiple sclerosis. You would know about various causes, symptoms, risk factors and ways of treating numbness in this article.
Causes :
Temporary numbness can be caused due to lack of movement like sitting with crossed legs for long or sleeping in the same position for hours together. This can cause temporary numbness and many factors like insect bites, eating toxic foods and any injury in the neck can also cause tingling or numbness. Undergoing radiation therapy, having abnormal levels of vitamins or other ions, having uncontrolled diabetes for long, having herniated disk in the spinal cord, having infectious diseases like shingles or encephalitis and migraine headache are some of the causes for numbness.
Medical conditions like Raynaud’s syndrome and myeliitis (swelling of spine) and immune related disorders like multiple sclerosis can affect the brain causing numbness in legs and feet. Getting a mini stroke or transient ischemic attack in which blood flow to the brain is blocked for few seconds can lead to numbness. Many types of thyroid problems like hypothyroidism and thyroiditis can cause tingling sensation or numbness. At times, nerve injury is so serious that the damage caused to the part becomes irreversible leading to permanent numbness.