You've probably felt your feet or soles falling asleep before. But if you experience this feeling frequently or with great intensity, it can be a sign of a more serious illness. There are many reasons that may cause numbness, tingling, or even burning in your feet and soles. This numbness is usually not harmful or serious and is mostly related to temporary conditions or injuries, such as improper sitting, which reduces blood flow to the legs. However, sometimes numbness in the legs, also known as paresthesia, can be a sign of a more serious chronic medical condition. In this article, ask your doctor to join us to investigate the cause of leg numbness.
common causes of leg numbness
One of the causes of leg numbness is improper body posture. Sitting or standing in one position for a long time can cause compression of nerves or lack of blood flow. In these conditions, this numbness usually goes away as soon as you move. Other acute (sudden or short-term) causes may be related to more complex conditions. These reasons include the following:
Diabetes and diabetic neuropathy
Lumbar disc herniation or spinal canal stenosis
local entrapment of leg nerves
Deficiency of some vitamins
Thyroid disorders and metabolic problems
Consumption of certain drugs and chemotherapy
nervous disorders
Fibromyalgia
Multiple sclerosis
tarsal tunnel syndrome
Peripheral artery diseases
alcohol consumption
In addition to these cases, there are a number of more serious reasons. Injuries and damage to the legs or spine, sciatica and mild strokes are other important reasons that may cause tingling and numbness in the legs.
Causes of leg numbness
Treatment or management solution
Inappropriate body position and long-term pressure
Changing body position and movement that usually relieves numbness
Diabetes and Diabetic neuropathy
Blood sugar control and treatment of diabetic neuropathy
Lumbar disc herniation or spinal canal stenosis
Reducing pressure on compressed nerves (depending on the severity of the problem)
Sciatica (pressure or irritation of the sciatic nerve)
Reducing or relieving pressure on the nerve Sciatica
Local entrapment of nerves in the legs
Reduction of pressure exerted on the nerve by surrounding structures
Peripheral artery diseases
Improving blood flow to the legs by reducing the narrowing of the arteries
Vitamin B12 or B1 deficiency
Compensation of vitamin deficiency to prevent damage Nervous
Thyroid disorders and metabolic problems
Correcting hormonal and metabolic imbalance
Use of certain drugs and chemotherapy
Management or investigation of drug side effects that damage nerves
Vascular and heart diseases
Improving heart function and blood flow in Legs
Neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS)
Diagnosis and follow-up of underlying neurological disease
Lupus, tumors or mild strokes
Evaluation and treatment of serious underlying disease
Kidney failure or infections
Treatment of infection or failure and correction Imbalance of electrolytes
Alcohol consumption
Reduce or stop alcohol consumption to prevent nerve damage
In this table, the causes of numbness in the legs and the solutions to solve it are stated.
English text: Numb legs and feet may be caused by sitting in a position that puts too much pressure on the nerves or reduces blood flow. Long-lasting numbness in the legs and feet may indicate an underlying condition. Farsi translation: Numbness in the legs and feet may be caused by sitting in a position that puts a lot of pressure on the nerves or reduces blood flow. Long-term numbness in the legs and soles of the feet can indicate an underlying disease.
Common causes of numbness in the legs include pressure on the nerves caused by lumbar disc, diabetes and diseases Vascular is like atherosclerosis.
1. Diabetes and diabetic neuropathy
One cause of leg numbness in most people, especially when this numbness continues for a long time and is repeated, is diabetes and diabetic neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy, or nerve damage, occurs in people with diabetes who have uncontrolled high blood glucose (sugar) levels.
Legs can be affected by this type of nerve damage, and that's why these people keep getting numb in their legs. Diabetic neuropathy causes numbness, pain, and weakness that usually starts in the toes and may gradually spread to the feet, ankles, and knees.
2. Lumbar disc herniation or spinal canal stenosis
The next important thing that can cause numbness in the legs is herniated lumbar disc or spinal stenosis. Back problems, such as ruptured or herniated discs in the spine, may compress the nerves that go to the legs, leading to numbness or sensory disturbances.
For example, sciatica is a condition in which the sciatic nerve is irritated or compressed. The sciatic nerve runs from the back to the legs and is the longest nerve in the body. If this nerve is irritated or compressed, a person may experience numbness or tingling in their legs.
3. Local entrapment of the leg nerves
Temporary and local pressures on the nerves of the legs can be the cause of numbness in the legs. Various factors may put pressure on the nerves of the foot. For example, in peripheral artery disease, the arteries narrow and reduce blood flow to the legs.
A pinched nerve is another common condition in which certain structures around the nerve, such as muscles, tendons, tissue, and bones, put pressure on the nerve. These conditions can also cause symptoms such as numbness in the legs.
In some people, the cause of numbness in the legs is deficiency of vitamins in the body. For example, a deficiency of vitamin B12 or thiamine (B1) can cause nerve damage that results in numbness in the legs. Vitamin B12 is necessary to maintain the health of peripheral nerves, and for this reason, its deficiency can cause tingling and numbness in the legs.
5. Thyroid disorders and metabolic problems
In some people, thyroid disorders, including hypothyroidism or other metabolic problems can be the cause of leg numbness. thyroid disease usually disturbs the balance of hormones and metabolic balance of the body. Untreated hypothyroidism can lead to peripheral neuropathy in some people, causing pain, numbness, or tingling in the limbs.
6. Taking some drugs and chemotherapy
Some medications, especially chemotherapy drugs, can cause tingling in feet or numbness in the feet. The side effects of taking some drugs damage the peripheral and central nerves. This damage has disrupted the sending and receiving of signals between the central nervous system and the legs, which results in the loss of sensation in the legs.
Less likely causes of leg numbness
Sometimes the cause of leg numbness is a series of more serious underlying diseases that are less common. For example, lupus, stroke, and some tumors can be considered as the cause of leg numbness in some people.
For example, although rare, a tumor may grow in such a way that it presses on a nerve, causing numbness and tingling in the leg. People with lupus may also develop nerve damage, which usually causes numbness in a variable pattern, including in the legs.
Less common causes of numbness in the legs may include neurological diseases such as multiple Sclerosis, rare vascular disorders or problems related to tumors.
1. Vascular diseases
In people with a history of heart disease, swelling or edema in the legs and tingling in the soles of the feet is a relatively common symptom. When the heart is not working well, the blood flow is slowed down and this can be the cause of numbness in the legs.
In addition, some heart diseases such as coronary artery disease increase the risk of peripheral arterial disease. In this condition, the arteries in the legs are narrowed and this can cause pain and numbness in the legs and legs.
2. Neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS)
One of the most serious causes of long-term leg numbness in some people is multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the myelin sheath that covers nerve cells. Symptoms of MS include numbness in different parts of the body, including the legs.
English text: Numbness and tingling is a common sign of MS. It's usually one of the first symptoms that brings people to their doctors for diagnosis. Farsi translation: Numbness and tingling are common symptoms of MS. This is usually one of the first symptoms that people see a doctor after experiencing it.
Rarely, leg numbness may be caused by kidney problems and diseases, including kidney failure or some infections. Kidney infection and failure can cause nerve damage and neuropathy, which is caused by the accumulation of toxic compounds and electrolyte imbalance in the body. This condition, with its effect on the nerves, may cause numbness, severe swelling, and tingling in the hands and feet.
Conclusion
Numbness in the legs and feet is a common condition and usually goes away on its own. But if this condition becomes chronic, you should definitely look for the cause of numbness in the legs, because this condition may indicate a more serious underlying disease. If you experience numbness that is unexplained, persistent, painful, or accompanied by other chronic symptoms, you should see your doctor for a diagnosis and treatment options.
Your doctor takes care of your health!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, most of the time when the numbness in the legs is a temporary sensation and quickly resolves, it is a sign of a problem. not serious But if this happens repeatedly and its duration is long, the underlying cause should be taken seriously.
Yes, deficiency of this vitamin is one of the most common causes of numbness in the feet. This vitamin protects the peripheral nerves and its deficiency can cause numbness in the legs.
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