User:Mr. Ibrahem/Paresthesia

Paresthesia, also known as pins and needles, is a feeling of tingling, pricking, burning, or numbness. Less common it may be described as coldness or a crawling feeling. It occurs without the skin being touched. While it can occur anywhere on the body, most commonly the arms and legs are affected. It may be of a brief or prolonged duration.

A common cause of brief episodes is pressure on a nerve. Long term cases may occur due to a carpal tunnel syndrome, stroke, multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis, tumors, vitamin B12 deficiency, lead toxicity, diabetes, Guillain-Barre syndrome, or encephalitis. Diagnosis is based on the symptoms, examination, and further testing.

Treatment depends on the underlying cause. Efforts to improve the severity may include capsaicin creams, carbamazepine, or gabapentin. The term is derived from the Greek "para" meaning beside and "aesthesis" meaning sensation. The term dysesthesia has a similar meaning; however, some use it only when being touched results in the abnormal sensation.