Numbness in the thigh of the left leg treatment. Why the back of the head goes numb - reasons


Many people have often experienced a feeling of numbness in the head as a whole or in a specific area. In this case, there is a slight tingling in this area with loss of sensitivity. Such a manifestation is not always an indicator of a pathological deviation. When staying in an uncomfortable or forced body position for a long time, when a person does not have proper control to change position before leaving the sleep interval.

The process of tissue numbness is associated with a disruption of local blood flow in a certain area of ​​the head, affecting brain tissue. But the pathological manifestation of the condition quickly eliminates itself when light massaging movements are carried out on the scalp, which helps to increase blood flow. When the back of the head noticeably and repeatedly goes numb, there is a decrease in work activity, weakness, nervousness and irritation appears, you should think about the reason for the development of the warning sign.

What causes numbness in the occipital region?

Today, painful discomfort in the head with a feeling of numbness is very common, when a person, without feeling the intensity of pain, gradually gets used to the pathological sensation. At the same time, it is not always possible to determine exactly the moment when exactly the sensation arose and why it appeared initially.

The cranium contains inside the main control structure, namely the brain, which belongs to the central sphere of the body's nervous network. All pain and discomfort impulses are transmitted to the head, then reaching the occipital region. Based on practical research, the following systems have been identified, the dysfunction of which causes numbness in the back of the head:

  • neurological;
  • heart and vasculature;
  • supporting, namely a section of the spinal tract.

Traumatic head injury cannot be ruled out when, as a result of a bruise, a hematoma is formed, the tissues of which are not always fully restored, especially if the patient was not provided with emergency care in a timely manner. Changes occur in the vascular blood flow, causing a sensation of tingling and numbness in the occipital region. Against this background, pathology of the vascular system develops over time.

The main reasons for the appearance of the symptom

Among the pathological conditions that provoke the appearance of numbness in the back of the head are the following diseases:

  1. Dystonia of the vegetative-vascular type. The process characterizes a change in the sphere of autonomic functions of nervous activity, affecting both the central and peripheral parts. Develops after trauma, severe stress, neurosis, overwork, or has a hereditary predisposition.

Most often, the pathological condition has a sluggish, protracted course. At the same time, the vascular network of the head undergoes changes, adapting to the constant narrowing or expansion of the lumen of the vessels. The back of the head becomes numb, and headaches develop that have a long-term presence. The complexity of the pathological condition lies in the fact that it cannot be cured. Found form medicinal product, normalizing the condition, is still in development.

  1. Hypertension. Pathology is diagnosed in almost the majority of the population. Sudden changes in pressure are recorded in patients with vascular diseases, pathologies of the nervous network, and there is also a tendency to hereditary susceptibility.

When a crisis condition develops, there is a sharp pain in the head with intense pulsation, weakness, increased heart rate, nausea, with the formation of vomiting, while the back of the head becomes numb and dizzy.

  1. Diseases of the vascular network. They are diagnosed in the presence of pain in the head of an aching nature, spreading from the back of the head to the frontal region. The condition is characterized by the presence of constant spasm of the vascular network with subsequent changes in blood flow and nutrition of brain tissue.

Painful discomfort may be insignificant, but sometimes it numbs the entire head, completely detaining the patient’s attention. Often, with vascular pathology, numbness of the occipital region is observed after a period of sleep. In this case, it is not recommended to rise sharply from a horizontal position.

  1. Intracranial pressure. The pathological condition is a derivative disorder of hypertension, presenting a particular danger to the patient. With a sharp change in the pressure boundaries inside the skull, the walls of the vessels supplying the brain cannot withstand and rupture, forming a localized hemorrhage or stroke. With a large rupture, it is not always possible to bring the patient out of a crisis state that results in death.

Identification of increased pressure boundaries inside the skull is characterized by intense, bursting headaches, especially affecting the occipital region, while the back of the head becomes numb and the ears are blocked. There is pressure on the eye area, nausea and vomiting appear. Symptoms may appear with a sudden change in weather conditions, prolonged sound stimulation, or the presence of bright blinding rays.

Video: Panic attacks | Lesson #18 Other symptoms | nausea | bakes the back of the head | hands go numb | different

In the last few years, patients are increasingly coming to the general practitioner with the complaint that the back of their head is numb. Moreover, these sensations are so painful and unpleasant that the patient feels as if his head is being pierced with thousands of needles. As a result of this, even tilting or turning the head is torture. In addition to numbness in the back of the head, some patients may experience stuffy ears, dizziness, and dark vision. What does this condition mean? How to eliminate it and what could be the consequences of the back of the head going numb? Find answers to these questions in this article.

Causes of numbness in the back of the head

The most common cause of numbness in the back of the head is banal hypothermia. As a rule, a person’s back of the head, ears, and head in general go numb during the unpleasant off-season period (for example, summer-autumn-autumn-winter), when quite a lot of people are waiting for us on the street. sudden changes temperature. A person may not even have time to go outside or travel a few stops on public transport before he is caught in a draft. If a person is too long cervical region(for example, you went out in the fall without a scarf), then in this case the back of your head immediately begins to go numb. This problem can be solved without medical help at home. It is enough to rub your neck with any warming cream, vodka tincture, or purchase a special warming ointment at the pharmacy. You should definitely wrap your neck with a warm woolen scarf at night and go outside only wearing a scarf.

The second, also common reason, is damage to the spine, pinched nerves, and an inflammatory process in the spinal region. If the back of your head becomes numb at rest, for example, when you are resting, then with a greater degree of certainty we can say that the cause of the numbness in the back of your head is problems with the spine.

If, under the influence of any factors, pinching of blood vessels occurs, this leads to numbness in the back of the head.

Stress - what harm does it cause?

The third, also quite common reason, is negative impact stress and neuro-emotional tension. Did you know that the moment you are full of anger and rage, you start screaming and indignant, your blood vessels spasm? Naturally, next comes a physiological reaction. Blood vessels narrow, therefore, blood circulates very poorly, and as a result, brain cells do not receive enough oxygen. By external signs this condition manifests itself in the form of numbness in the back of the head and the person feels as if there is something crawling on the skin large number goosebumps.

Nervous excitement, and even more so overexcitation, always occurs in a person under the influence of a stressful situation. Not many people know that human nerve cells have a peculiar protective layer called myelin. The main active component of the myelin layer is lecithin. If the protective layer begins to decrease (under the influence of external or internal factors), then the nerve cells are left without the slightest protection and look like bare wires. What can be done in such a situation? Of course, worry less and expose yourself to stress. Secondly, during an acute feeling of numbness in the back of the head, you need to take a sedative and be sure to consult a doctor for advice.

You also need to do a computed tomography scan of the cerebral vessels to understand whether a phenomenon such as numbness in the back of the head is dangerous. To do this, a person needs to make an appointment with a neurologist.

Video: Numbness is one of the important symptoms.

When should you see a doctor?

If the numbness of the back of the head is isolated, that is:

  • It appeared after a night's sleep as a result of sleeping in an uncomfortable position;
  • You have become hypothermic, have caught a cold and a draft has blown through your neck;
  • Mechanical compression of blood vessels;
  • Pathological circulatory disorder;
  • You got nervous and your neck went numb.

In these situations, you don’t have to see a doctor, just calm down, apply an anti-inflammatory and warming agent to your neck, and you need to wait out this phenomenon.

If the feeling of numbness in the back of the head bothers you with enviable regularity, it torments you and does not go away for a long time, then this is a clear signal that something is wrong in the body and it needs help from the outside (that is, treatment to doctors).

You need to understand that in some cases, numbness in the back of the head may only be the first sign of a more serious pathology. There are clinical cases when a person first experiences numbness in the back of the head, and then suddenly loses the upper or lower limbs. When should you see a doctor? What could be a signal for emergency help?

  • The numbness lasts more than an hour and does not go away, depending on whether you change your position, take painkillers, or apply a local anti-inflammatory ointment;
  • Only one part of the back of your head goes numb and behind it the left or right side faces, and a phenomenon called paresis (immobilization) is observed;
  • In parallel with the numbness of the back of the head, a severe headache begins, vision decreases, and hearing problems are also observed;
  • Your body temperature rises above 37.5 degrees, and your face turns purple.

All of the above signs indicate that a person needs to be given emergency assistance. And they are very life-threatening - it could be a stroke, malignant tumor brain or pathology of the cardiovascular system.

Everything interesting

According to medical terminology, loss of sensation in the lower extremities is defined as hypoesthesia. This is the diagnosis that the patient will be given when contacting the medical institution with a complaint of numbness in the right/left foot. If we talk about…

Should I be afraid of facial numbness? In a person, numbness of the face and head can manifest itself in the form of a painful, unpleasant tingling sensation, a sensation of goosebumps running across the skin of the face and head, as well as a complete loss of facial sensitivity. In addition, a person…

Video: Cause of hand numbness, shortening of the scalene muscles, stretching exercises, Scalene Muscle Stretch In most cases, numbness of the little fingers appears if a person has damaged nerve endings that directly feed...

Video: Malysheva: Why do you feel dizzy and what does it portend? The disease is Meniere's syndrome. What to do if your head goes numb, you feel very dizzy, or it hurts so much that you don't even have the strength? In this case, you need to consult a doctor. And this is a must...

Numbness of the cheek is a rare phenomenon, but it still occurs in humans. A decrease in the sensitivity of the right or left cheek can be either insignificant or quite noticeable and disturbing to a person. The reasons for this phenomenon are extensive and some...

Numbness of the left hand is most often attributed to disorders of the cardiovascular system. In most clinical cases, when a person complains of numbness in the left hand, this indicates a stroke or pre-stroke condition,…

How often do you encounter such a phenomenon as numbness of the tip of the nose? Probably – often, you just don’t always notice it. Why, you ask? Because numbness of the nose, and even more so of its tip, is really very difficult to feel. We often...

Why can a person’s right leg periodically or even permanently go numb? In this article we will look at the main reasons for this phenomenon. Let's find out what to do if the right thigh and fingers go numb right leg, right heel and entire ankle joint...

Numbness upper limbs– this is a fairly common occurrence and a complaint with which people everywhere turn to general practitioners, massage therapists and traumatologists. Why can my right hand go numb? What to do when your right arm, wrist, hand, and...

Index finger on right hand It goes numb most often in case of impaired blood circulation in the hand, or with serious diseases of the spine. Numbness can lead to limb amputation and even death. Get rid of an unpleasant symptom...

Numbness of the ear is one of the symptoms of an underlying inflammatory or neurological disease in the body. If a person’s ear goes numb, then he experiences extremely unpleasant sensations in the form of tingling, slight pain in the ear, and also...

In the last few years, patients are increasingly coming to the general practitioner with the complaint that the back of their head is numb. Moreover, these sensations are so painful and unpleasant that the patient feels as if his head is being pierced with thousands of needles. As a result of this, even tilting or turning the head is torture. In some patients, in addition to numbness in the back of the head, the ears may become blocked and the eyes may become dark. What does this condition mean? How to eliminate it and what could be the consequences of the back of the head going numb? Find answers to these questions in this article.

Causes of numbness in the back of the head

The most common cause of numbness in the back of the head is banal hypothermia. As a rule, a person’s back of the head, ears, and head in general go numb during an unpleasant off-season period (for example, summer-autumn; autumn-winter), when quite sharp temperature changes await us all outside. A person may not even have time to go outside or travel several stops on public transport, as he might in a draft. If a person has a strained cervical spine (for example, you went out in the fall without a scarf), then in this case the back of the head immediately begins to go numb. This problem can be solved without medical help at home. It is enough to rub your neck with any warming cream, vodka tincture, or purchase a special warming ointment at the pharmacy. You should definitely wrap your neck with a warm woolen scarf at night and go outside only wearing a scarf.

The second, also common reason, is damage to the spine, pinched nerves, and an inflammatory process in the spinal region. If the back of your head becomes numb at rest, for example, when you are resting, then with a greater degree of certainty we can say that the cause of the numbness in the back of your head is problems with the spine.

This phenomenon can be explained by the anatomical structure of the cervical spine. As you know, the cervical spine is directly connected to the brain through numerous blood vessels and nerve endings. In particular, thanks to the blood arteries, the brain receives blood, as well as all useful substances and microelements.

If, under the influence of any factors, pinching of blood vessels occurs, this leads to numbness in the back of the head.

Stress - what harm does it cause?

The third, also quite common reason, is the negative impact of neuro-emotional stress. Did you know that the moment you are full of anger and rage, you start screaming and indignant, your blood vessels spasm? Naturally, next comes a physiological reaction. The blood vessels narrow, therefore, the blood circulates very poorly, and as a result, the brain cells do not receive enough oxygen. According to external signs, this condition manifests itself in the form of numbness in the back of the head and the person feels as if a large number of goosebumps are crawling on the skin.

Nervous excitement, and even more so overexcitation, always occurs in a person under the influence of a stressful situation. Not many people know that human nerve cells have a kind of protective layer called myelin. The main active component of the myelin layer is lecithin. If the protective layer begins to decrease (under the influence of external or internal factors), then the nerve cells are left without the slightest protection and look like bare wires. What can be done in such a situation? Of course, worry less and expose yourself to stress. Secondly, during an acute feeling of numbness in the back of the head, you need to take a sedative and be sure to consult a doctor for advice.

You also need to do a computed tomography scan of the cerebral vessels to understand whether a phenomenon such as numbness in the back of the head is dangerous. To do this, a person needs to make an appointment with a neurologist.

When should you see a doctor?

If the numbness of the back of the head is isolated, that is:

  • It appeared after a night's sleep as a result of sleeping in an uncomfortable position;
  • You have become hypothermic, have caught a cold and a draft has blown through your neck;
  • Mechanical compression of blood vessels;
  • Pathological circulatory disorder;
  • You got nervous and your neck went numb.

In these situations, you don’t have to see a doctor, just calm down, apply an anti-inflammatory and warming agent to your neck, and you need to wait out this phenomenon.

If the feeling of numbness in the back of the head bothers you with enviable regularity, it torments you and does not go away for a long time, then this is a clear signal that something is wrong in the body and it needs help from the outside (that is, treatment to doctors).

You need to understand that in some cases, numbness in the back of the head may be only the first sign of a more serious pathology. There are clinical cases when a person first experiences numbness in the back of the head, and then suddenly loses the upper or lower limbs. When should you see a doctor? What could be a signal for emergency help?

  • The numbness lasts more than an hour and does not go away, depending on whether you change your position, take painkillers, or apply a local anti-inflammatory ointment;
  • Only one part of the back of your head goes numb and behind it the left or right side of your face, and you also experience a phenomenon called paresis (immobility);
  • In parallel with the numbness of the back of the head, a severe headache begins, vision decreases, and hearing problems are also observed;
  • Your body temperature rises above 37.5 degrees, and your face turns purple.

All of the above signs indicate that the person needs emergency assistance. And they are very life-threatening - it could be a malignant brain tumor or pathology of the cardiovascular system.