lose feeling on the entire left side of my body and fell over to the side. Fortunately my phone was within reach and I was able to call for assistance. I only remember sitting in the ER in a wheelchair and my brother @DJEddieF standing next to me speaking with a security guard. It was October when I was made fully aware of what had transpired and able to start to comprehend it all. I had multiple surgeries covering everything from repairing a #hematoma / #hernia to an #OrganTransplant!”
Causes of numbness and tingling can range from sitting in one position for too long to insect bites to multiple sclerosis. But the numbness on one side of the body like how Al B. experienced would lead one to believe that it was more serious than that.
Regionalized pain (or pain that manifests in one specific area of the body) can be caused by a number of injuries and conditions. However, many (if not most) cases of regionalized pain and numbness result from nerve issues.
When pain and numbness occur in a specific bodily region (like on one side of the body), the most likely culprit are the spinal nerves. In fact, most instances of numbness can be traced back to a nerve issue. The nerves in the spinal column help transmit sensory signals to our body parts from the brain, and vice versa. When a nerve gets pinched by a spinal disc or damaged in an accident, these sensory signals can get messed up, resulting in tingling, numbness, and pain in certain areas of the body.
Here are some of the more common causes of what Al B. Sure experienced on the left side of his body:
Stroke
A stroke is a life-threatening condition that happens when a part of your brain loses its blood supply. Most strokes are caused by a blood clot (thrombosis) that cuts off the blood flow to your brain (known as an ischaemic stroke), but some can be caused by bleeding in the brain (known as a haemorrhagic stroke).
Stroke symptoms depend on which part of your brain is affected. You may feel tingling or numbness usually on one side of your body, but it could be on both sides. Other symptoms include:
- drooping of one side of your face
- trouble moving your arms or legs (weakness)
- numbness or tingling in your arms or legs
- trouble speaking, like slurred speech or not being able to talk
- Sometimes you may get these symptoms, but they go away after a few minutes or hours – this is called a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), or ‘mini stroke’. Although the symptoms get better quickly, it can mean you’re at risk of having a full stroke.
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a serious condition that affects your brain and spinal cord, and stops your nerves working properly. Exactly what causes it isn’t clear, but it’s thought to be a combination of your genetics and environmental factors, such as viral infections in childhood.
MS can cause a wide range of symptoms, including numbness or tingling in different body parts. Other common symptoms include:
- feeling tired
- trouble walking
- blurred vision, double vision and eye pain
- problems controlling your pee
- problems with balance
- muscle stiffness and spasms
- problems with thinking, learning and planning
Your symptoms might come and go, or get gradually worse over time.
Tumors
Tumors are groups of abnormal cells that form a growth. If the growth is in or near your brain or spine, it can press on your nerves. Not all tumors are cancerous – some (known as benign tumors) don’t spread to other parts of your body. But both types can squash or damage nerves and cause symptoms like numbness or tingling.
The causes of brain and spinal tumors aren’t clear, but they’re more common in older age.
If you have a brain tumor, your symptoms will depend on which part of your brain it’s in. Read more about the symptoms of brain tumors.
A spinal cord tumor may cause symptoms below where it’s growing, including tingling and numbness, weakness of a body part, and pain that’s there all the time.