Tingling sensation and sudden numbness can be felt in any part of the body. Nerves are responsible for feeling pain and any kind of sensation. When there is nerve dysfunction in particular part of the body it can cause tingling sensation. Similarly, any lack of communication or miscommunication between the nerve signals of the body and brain it can cause neuropathy. Prolonged diabetes can cause tingling feeling in feet and in severe cases it can cause numbness.
Tingling in face can be caused by multiple reasons like nerve damage and specific disorders. In many people there may not be any apparent cause for neuropathy. Tingling in face and extremities can be a sign of stroke also. In rare cases tingling feeling can be the result of brain tumor.
Tingling in face and other body parts can occur just for few seconds and for few minutes. The sensation can be acute and sudden in many cases and it can be slow and gradual in some people.
How Can You Describe Tingling Sensation?
- You may feel that your skin has become numb and tingly.
- You may feel that your muscles are tingling and uneasy.
- Some people describe the “tingling” feeling that paralysis of the body or specific part. It feels as though specific part of the body has been anesthetized.
- Some people describe this feeling as “crawling” or “tickling” of skin or muscles.
- You may feel like skin is itchy or giving you sort of prickly feeling.
- There are people who develop goose-bumps suddenly due to tingling feeling.
- You may feel as though the skin is frozen for time-being and you may not have any feeling on that part of the skin.
- Although such feelings are present for the affected person, there would not be any (real) numbness or visible marks on the skin. And there would not be any abnormalities in the skin during physical examination.
- Tingling or temporary numbness can be present anywhere in the body. Skin of various body parts like hands, legs, fingers, toes, face, neck and torso can develop tingling sensation.
- Tingling feeling can affect only specific area or sometimes it can spread to other parts of the body as well.
- Tingling in face may “come and go” or can occur frequently in some people depending on the disease condition.
- Tingling in face can precede or follow certain stressful events or periods of anxiety and fear.
- For some people tingling sensation can occur without any obvious reason.
- The intensity of tingling feeling can range from mild to severe.
Causes Of Tingling In Face :
1. Multiple Sclerosis – Multiple sclerosis is a serious nervous disorder that affects the brain and spinal cord. Nerve fibers have protective covering of myelin sheath and multiple sclerosis attacks this protective layer leading to miscommunication of nerve signals. In due course the nerves begin to deteriorate and get damaged permanently. Multiple sclerosis can cause tingling in face and other parts of the body like hands, feet and stomach. In severe cases this disease can affect your vision also. People with MS can feel electric shock like sensation while moving their neck.
2. Increased Stress – Sudden anxiety or stress can cause tingling in face and other parts of the body. The body’s immune system releases adrenaline hormone in volumes which can trigger tingling sensation in the body. Due to increased sensitivity, the body muscles get tightened causing tingling feeling. Once the anxiety gets resolved you may not feel and experience tingling in face.
3. Nervous Problem – People with chronic nervous disorder like nerve injury of the trigeminal nerves can get tingling in face several times a day. Trigeminal nerve is the group of cranial nerves which when subjected to pressure or compressed can cause temporary paralysis in face causing numbness and tingling feeling.
4. Stroke – Blood flow to some parts of the brain gets disturbed or totally cut off causing a stroke. Brain cells are vitally damaged due to lack of oxygenated blood causing death. This can cause bursting of blood vessel in the brain (hemorrhagic) or some part of brain loses blood flow (ischemic). Stroke can cause more severe signs like slurred speech, drooping of face and weakness in arm and even loss of consciousness. This is a serious medical condition needing immediate prompt diagnosis and treatment.
5. Cold Weather – When exposed to sudden cold weather you can develop tingling in face and other parts of the body. Exposure to cold air causes increased skin sensitivity and tingling feeling.
6. Other Causes – Certain medications, deficiency of vitamins and exposure to toxic and strong chemicals can cause tingling in face and other regions. Head injury during accidents and migraine can also trigger tingling feeling. Severe infections like shingles can also cause this problem.
Based on the symptoms and frequency of tingling in face, your doctor may order for imaging tests like X-ray, CT or MRI scan of the brain.
Read More On Tingling In The Face and Back Of The Head
Treatment for tingling sensation in face or any other body part depends on the cause.
If sudden stress/anxiety is causing tingling feeling you need to take steps to calm yourself. It may take few minutes to get back to normal stage from anxiety. Tingling feeling would gradually subside and disappear once the anxiety is resolved and you get calm. If you are experiencing stress continuously you need to practice yoga or meditation exercise to learn how to tackle stressful situations. Breathing exercises and cognitive behavior therapy can reduce the anxiety/stress in due course.
If any medical condition and disorder is causing tingling feeling your doctor would give suitable medications. Prescription drugs are available for reducing symptoms of neurological problems. Drugs when taken in suitable strength can help in calming your mind and there would be reduced number of tingling sessions in your life. For severe conditions like entrapped nerve, surgery is the ideal option. Recovery from stroke is possible only if the brain damage is not severe.
Whether To See Your Doctor ?
Having tingling in face or other body parts once in a while due to stressful situations is not a matter of concern. But if you are experiencing such feeling frequently you need to promptly consult your doctor. Do not ignore symptoms like tingling in hands and feet along with slurred speech and mental imbalance etc. Prompt diagnosis and treatment can save your life from complication.