What are the causes of Legs numbness?

Legs and feet numbness

Legs numbness

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

Causes of numbness

Numbness often occurs as a result of injury to the peripheral nerves, as numbness rarely 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 a stroke and tumors. Among the most prominent reasons that lead to numbness of the legs are the following: 

• Multiple Sclerosis: This disease occurs as a result of the destruction of the immune system of the myelin membrane, which covers the nerve fibers. One of them, In addition to the general suffering from fatigue, tongue heaviness and dizziness. It is worth noting that most people with MS have periods of severe symptoms, and others that disappear.
• Metabolic Neuropathy: It is a group of diseases that affect the peripheral nervous system and that are linked to problems in metabolic processes such as hypothyroidism, and liver diseases, in addition to diabetes, which is the most common metabolic neuropathy, and it should be noted that numbness of the legs due to metabolic neuropathy gets worse with the night hours.
• Fibromyalgia: It is defined as a muscle disorder, as it is considered one of the most common causes that lead to foot numbness, out of every 4 patients we find a patient suffering from numbness in the lower limbs except for other symptoms of the disease from muscle fatigue, memory and sleep problems.
• Vitamin B12 deficiency: Animal products such as meat, fish, and eggs are rich sources of vitamin B12, whereby people who depend on vegetables and vegetable products for their diet suffer from a deficiency in this vitamin, and a vitamin B12 deficiency causes vision problems, and digestive disorders such as diarrhea, constipation, in addition to the patient suffering from numb 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, and the injury is divided according to the difference in the ability to feel and control movement to a total or partial injury, and the most prominent symptoms that the patient complains about is a loss of sensation of heat and cold, and numbness of the extremities, particularly in the toes.
• Vasculitis: Any change that occurs to the walls of the blood vessels from narrowing or weakening is an important reason in reducing the blood flow to the various organs of the body, which results in damage to one or more organs, which affects the body's overall functions, where patients with vasculitis suffer from headaches. , And fever, other than limb numbness and general fatigue, and the severity of symptoms varies depending on the severity of ischemia of the affected organ.
• Stroke: A stroke occurs as a result of a lack of perfusion for one part of the brain, and this matter affects the amount of food and oxygen needed for his life, and it is considered one of the medical emergency cases that require the patient to be transferred to the emergency immediately when the symptoms of stroke start and these symptoms include stuttering speech, sudden headaches, in addition to imbalance and walking, numbness in the legs, and stroke are preventable diseases by refraining from smoking, avoiding saturated foods, eating more vegetables and fruits, and exercising regularly.
• Raynaud's disease: Raynaud's disease occurs as a result of the narrowing of the arteries feeding the skin, causing the poor blood supply to the skin, thus the extremities, especially the fingers and toes, become more prone to numbness and severe cold when exposed to tension or low temperatures. Among the most prominent symptoms associated with Raynaud's disease are the numbness of the toes, skin color changes, and the coldness of the toes, and can be prevented by maintaining the warmth of the extremities, and not subjecting to direct cold. 

Diagnosis of numbness

The doctor relies on diagnosing a numbness of the legs to take the full pathology from the patient, where the injuries, infection, and vaccinations that the patient is exposed to are addressed, 

In addition to the diseases he suffers from, and the medications he takes, and then the doctor performs the clinical examination, and request a set of tests if necessary, such as a blood test, a mineral content test, 

In addition to a thyroid hormone examination, and the doctor may order some x-rays such as x-rays, stratigraphic images, and magnetic resonance images when the patient is exposed to any spinal injury.

Treating numbness of the legs

The treatment for legs 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 advised to use nutritional supplements to make up for the deficiency, and therefore the symptoms of numbness improve significantly. If the cause of numbness is nerve damage caused by diabetes, 

Then monitoring and controlling blood sugar level slows the speed of damage and improves numbness symptoms. In general, patients are advised to follow a proper diet, exercise regularly, refrain from alcohol and smoking, and maintain an ideal weight.