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Numbness of the lips is a phenomenon that has the medical name "paresthesia." This symptom is often left unattended, because it practically does not bring any discomfort. But, if it manifests itself systematically, you should consult a doctor, because it can talk about some problems in the body. Below we consider the main factors that cause numbness of the lips, as well as ways to get rid of this symptom.
Major factors causing numbness of the lips
Avitaminosis
Perhaps the most harmless reason for which the lips become numb is the lack of vitamins B. These elements are biocatalysts responsible for the functioning of the central nervous system, so when they are not enough, lip numbness may occur.
First of all, this refers to vitamin B12, but the same phenomenon can occur due to the deficiency of other trace elements. If there is an insufficient amount of vitamin B1 in the body, numbness of different parts of the body may be observed, a decrease in muscle tone.A lack of vitamin B12 often causes paresthesia and is sometimes accompanied by hair loss. A lack of vitamin B6 causes cramps. To restore the sensitivity of the lips during paresthesia, you should visit a general practitioner who, when confirming the diagnosis of "avitaminosis", will prescribe a suitable vitamin complex.
Osteochondrosis
It seems strange relationship between loss of sensitivity of the lips and a disease such as osteochondrosis. This disease is a degenerative-dystrophic progressive lesion of intervertebral discs in the cervical region. Vessels and nerve bundles localized in the upper spine are pinched much more often. And, since it is in this area that there are vessels that are responsible for blood flow to the brain and regulate the sensitivity of the facial nerves, osteochondrosis of this area is in most cases the cause of loss of sensitivity of the lips and other areas of the face.
In addition to this symptom, osteochondrosis can indicate regular migraines, shooting in the neck, pain in the chest, shoulders and back, blurred vision and hearing, and a crunch during head turning.In this case, the patient may be prescribed drug therapy or surgery. However, mainly for the treatment resorted to massage and physical therapy.
Neuritis food nerve
The disease is a lesion of the inflammatory nerve character, accompanied by numbness of the lips, paralysis of facial muscles, indisposition. Depending on the area of the nerve that has affected the pathological process, there is:
- paresthesia of the lower or upper lip;
- weakening of the facial muscles;
- strabismus;
- hearing impairment;
- taste disorders;
- problems with salivation;
- tearing;
- pain sensitivity and other symptoms.
The development of the disease occurs gradually. As a rule, pain is first formed behind the auricle, and after a while, asymmetry of the face occurs. The disease is characterized by weakening of the facial muscles. When a patient's lips become numb, when he tries to smile or fold his mouth in the form of a tube, he has difficulty, then most likely this is a sign of neuritis.
Therapy of this disease includes glucorticoids, vitamin complexes, as well as drugs that relieve swelling and dilates blood vessels. In some cases, neuritis is a secondary symptom that develops on the background of another disease. This is mainly herpes, meningitis and other infectious diseases caused by viruses. In this situation, therapy should be aimed at eliminating the underlying disease, thanks to this, paresthesia will also disappear.
Numb Chin Syndrome
It happens that the lips become numb due to this phenomenon, which is called "a symptom of a numbed chin." Its development in some cases occurs against the background of systemic diseases or metastatic tumors. However, the most common cause of this syndrome is local diseases of the oral cavity.
In addition to paresthesia, the patient may feel numbness of the lower jaw and gums. Another name for such a neuralgic clinical manifestation is “the choroid nerve neuropathy”. Therapy in this case depends on the nature of the disease that caused the syndrome.
Hypoglycemic syndrome
The condition, which is called "hypoglycemia", means a decrease in the level of glucose in human blood below normal, which is 3.3-5.5 mmol / l. One of the clinical manifestations of this phenomenon is paresthesia of the lips and tongue. The development of the hypoglycemic syndrome occurs gradually, and the important systems of the body are affected.
At the initial stage, the patient has a feeling of hunger, migraine, nervousness, changeable mood. Then - increased sweating, tremor, abnormal aggression, hunger. May increase muscle tone, the development of seizures, dilated pupils, increased pressure, loss of consciousness. In the last stage, the patient may fall into a coma. A complication of hypoglycemia, which poses a serious threat to the health and life of a person, is brain edema. The development of this syndrome most often occurs in diabetics when the dosage of insulin is exceeded, increased physical activity, prolonged abstinence from eating, drinking alcohol on an empty stomach.
Hypertensive crisis
Lips may go numb due to hypertensive crisis. However, in this situation, in addition to the numbness of the lips, there are other clinical manifestations, which include:
- the appearance of shortness of breath;
- headache;
- sharp increase in pressure;
- pain in the chest;
- convulsions;
- loss of consciousness;
- vomiting;
- paralysis.
Hypertensive crisis is an extremely dangerous condition, especially if the patient has a history of heart disease and brain disease. If you suspect such a condition, you should immediately call an ambulance, because only medical workers can stop the attack with antihypertensive drugs.
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune pathology in which the myelin sheath of the nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord is damaged. The disease is accompanied by neurological clinical manifestations. Some patients may feel numbness of the limbs, staggering when moving, others lose their vision over time, have difficulty breathing.
Paresthesia is also a fairly common clinical manifestation in multiple sclerosis. Some patients have numb lips and chin. However, as a rule, the main symptom is still motor disorders, alternately appearing, then disappearing.Disease therapy includes the administration of hormone-containing drugs, plasma cytophoresis, symptomatic treatment, the use of immunosuppressive, immunomodulatory drugs, etc.
Glossary
This is a neuromatological pathological condition, which is manifested by the occurrence of pain in the area of the tongue, while morphological disorders are not observed. In most cases, glossalgia occurs in women in middle age. Various factors are capable of causing the occurrence of this disease, ranging from injury to mucous membranes to failures in the blood circulation process.
In some cases, the development of the disease occurs against the background of pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract and impaired functioning of the endocrine system. In addition, stressors, excessive fatigue, and psychological trauma can be factors that can trigger diseases.
Allergy, dental diseases
It happens that the numbness of the lips occurs as a result of an allergic reaction to certain foods. In addition, loss of sensitivity can cause tooth pain.In addition, this symptom may appear as a result of the formation of shingles on the skin of the face. In addition to paresthesia, there are other symptoms - a burning sensation in the neck and chin. In this case, you must immediately visit a medical facility. The specialists to whom you should turn are a therapist and a dermatologist.
In addition, numbness of the lips can be a consequence of the treatment of a dental disease. For example, after the removal of a tooth or an operation on the gums. In this situation, this can happen if the doctor during the treatment affects the nerve endings located on the tongue, as a result of which he may lose sensitivity for a while. Sometimes the damage to the nerve endings is very strong, then the discomfort will accompany the person for a long time.
Numbness of the lip is provoked by impaired blood supply, in which case the doctor conducts a detailed analysis of the medicines prescribed to the patient and, if necessary, gives direction to a blood test.
Treatment
For the treatment of paresthesia should first eliminate the likelihood of neurological and dental diseases, get rid of the cause of the phenomenon.To relieve pain, you need to use local anesthetic drugs. If the numbness of the lips is an independent symptom, then iron-containing agents should be used for the treatment.
If the cause of this condition is osteochondrosis, the therapy is carried out with the use of drugs, massage and therapeutic exercise.
Treatment for neuritis involves the use of glucocorticoids, vitamin complexes and vasodilators.
When numbness of the lips appears due to viral diseases, it is necessary to cure the underlying disease.
For the treatment of multiple sclerosis, in which the lips become numb, hormonal, immunomodulatory and other drugs are used. Such therapy will help get rid of this disease and relieve the accompanying symptoms.
If the lips become numb due to allergies, then first of all it is necessary to identify the allergen. As a rule, the cause of the development of an allergic reaction becomes food, some medicines. In this case, the patient will be assigned antihistamines.
Despite the fact that such a symptom as numbness of the lips may seem to be a harmless problem, you should not leave it unattended. It is necessary not to be lazy and visit a medical institution to find out the cause of this condition and begin the necessary treatment.
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