Hypoesthesia

Hypoesthesia or numbness is a common side effect of various medical conditions that manifests as a reduced sense of touch or sensation, or a partial loss of sensitivity to sensory stimuli. In everyday speech this is generally referred to as numbness. Hypoesthesia primarily results from damage to nerves, and from blockages in blood vessels, resulting in ischemic damage to tissues supplied by the blocked blood vessels. This damage is detectable through the use of various imaging studies. Damage in this way is caused by a variety of different illnesses and diseases. A few examples of the most common illnesses and diseases that can cause hypoesthesia as a side effect are as follows: Decompression sickness Trigeminal schwannoma Rhombencephalitis Intradural extramedullary tuberculoma of the spinal cord Cutaneous sensory disorder Beriberi Decompression sickness occurs during rapid ascent, spanning 20 or more feet (typically from underwater). Decompression sickness may express itself in a variety of ways, including hypoesthesia. Hypoesthesia results because of air bubbles that form in blood, which prevents oxygenation of downstream tissue. In cases of decompression sickness, treatment to relieve hypoesthesia symptoms is quick and efficient. Hyperbaric oxygen is used to maintain long term stability, which includes breathing of oxygen at a level of 100%. Trigeminal schwannoma is a condition in which a tumor forms on the trigeminal nerve (also known as cranial nerve five). This prevents sensation in the area associated with the nerve. In the case of the trigeminal nerve, this is the face, meaning hypoesthesia of the face is experienced. Excision is the only effective treatment of trigeminal schwannoma, though this may not treat the associated hypoesthesia if damage has already occurred. Following surgery, many patients still experienced hypoesthesia and some even experienced increased effects. Rhombencephalitis involves bacterial invasion of the brainstem and trigeminal nerve, and has a wide variety of symptoms that may vary between patients.