Numbness and Tingling: Common Causes

Most pins and needles happen when you’ve been sitting or lying awkwardly and settle within minutes. Numbness or tingling that keeps coming back, or appears suddenly, is a different matter.

Imagine burning and tingling in both feet that’s slowly creeping upwards over months, worse at night. You thought it was your shoes. A blood test shows high blood sugar and nerve damage from undiagnosed diabetes. Better control stops it getting worse.

Common causes

• Pressure on a nerve: sitting cross-legged or sleeping on your arm
• Carpal tunnel syndrome: tingling in thumb and fingers, often at night
• Trapped nerve in the neck or back, with pain down the arm or leg
• Diabetes: nerve damage usually starting in the feet
• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Alcohol overuse
• Anxiety and over-breathing, often around the mouth and in the hands
• Medicines such as some chemotherapy drugs
• Multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions

But when is it an emergency?

Call emergency services for sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the face or body, especially with drooping face, slurred speech, confusion, vision problems or severe headache. These are signs of stroke; use the FAST test and note the time symptoms started.

Also seek urgent help for numbness around the genitals or bottom with bladder or bowel problems, or numbness after a head, neck or back injury.

When to see a healthcare provider

Book an appointment if numbness or tingling keeps coming back, is spreading, affects both feet or hands, or comes with weakness, pain or balance problems. Blood tests for diabetes, B12 and thyroid are often the first step.

Sources: NHS (Pins and needles), US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (Peripheral neuropathy), World Stroke Organization, Mayo Clinic.