Jakarta: Tingling in the hands, feet, or both is a very common and bothersome symptom. Such tingling is sometimes benign and temporary. For example, it can result from pressure on a nerve when the arm is bent under the head during sleep. Or it could be due to nerve pressure when crossing your legs for too long.
However, in many cases, as WebMD points out, tingling in the hands, feet, or both can be severe, episodic, or chronic.
It can also come with other symptoms, such as pain, itching, numbness, and muscle wasting. In such cases, tingling may be a sign of nerve damage, which can be caused by a variety of causes.
There are more than 100 types of peripheral neuropathy. Over time, the condition can worsen, leading to lack of movement and even disability. More than 20 million Americans, most of them older adults, are estimated to have peripheral neuropathy. Here are some diseases that may be the cause of tingling.
(Diabetic neuropathy is a nerve disorder caused by diabetes characterized by tingling, pain, or numbness. Although it can occur in nerves anywhere in the body, diabetic neuropathy more often affects the nerves in the feet. Photo: Illustration/Pexels.com)
1. Diabetes
It is one of the most common causes of peripheral neuropathy, accounting for about 30 percent of cases. In diabetic neuropathy, tingling and other symptoms often first develop in both legs and up the legs, followed by tingling and other symptoms that affect both hands and up the arms.
2. Systemic disease
These include kidney disorders, liver disease, blood vessel damage and blood disease, amyloidosis, connective tissue disorders and chronic inflammation, hormonal imbalances (including hypothyroidism), and cancers and benign tumors that affect nerves.
3. Vitamin deficiency
The body needs vitamins E, B1, B6, B12, and niacin to health nerve. B12 deficiency, for example, can lead to pernicious anemia, an important cause neuropati perifer. But too much B6 can also cause tingling in the hands and feet.
4. Infection
These include Lyme disease, herpes zoster (varicella zoster), cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr, herpes simplex, and HIV and AIDS.
5. Autoimmune disease
These include chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, Guillain-Barre syndrome, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.
6. Multiple Sclerosis
This disease causes your immune system to attack the fatty myelin sheath around nerve fibers throughout the body. Tingling in the hands and feet is a common symptom.
How is the treatment for tingling?
The success of treatment depends on an accurate diagnosis and treatment of the cause of the tingling. For example, good blood sugar control in diabetes can help keep diabetic neuropathy from getting worse, and vitamin supplements can improve peripheral neuropathy in people with vitamin deficiencies.
General lifestyle recommendations include maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding exposure to toxins, following a doctor-supervised exercise program, eating a balanced diet, and avoiding or limiting alcohol.
(TIN)
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