Paresthesia facts for kids

Paresthesia is a feeling of tingling, prickling, or numbness. People often call it "pins and needles." This feeling can last for a short time, like when your foot "falls asleep," or it can be more long-lasting. If it lasts a long time, it might mean there's a problem with the nerves in your body.

For example, if you sit with your legs crossed for a long time, your foot might feel like it's "asleep." The tingling you feel when you move your foot again is paresthesia.

What Causes Paresthesia?

Many things can cause the "pins and needles" feeling. Here are some common reasons:

• Some types of medicines
• Feeling very worried or stressed (Anxiety or Panic Disorder)
• When divers come up from deep water too quickly (Decompression sickness)
• Not drinking enough water (Dehydration)
• Certain rare conditions like Fabry disease or Fibromyalgia
• A condition called Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)
• Exposure to certain Heavy metals
• Breathing too fast (Hyperventilation)
• Having too much potassium in your blood
• When your thyroid gland isn't working correctly
• Problems with your body's defense system (Immune deficiency), like Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP)
• Taking certain supplements
• Having too much of a certain medicine in your body
• Low blood-sugar (Hypoglycemia)
• Migraine headaches
• A condition called Multiple sclerosis
• Long-term exposure to certain gases
• When a limb "falls asleep" because of pressure (Obdormition)
• Exposure to radiation
• Not getting enough of certain vitamins, like Vitamin B12

See also

In Spanish: Parestesia para niños