Are You Sick?

Weak or Numb Face/Limb

Is this your symptom?

Weakness or paralysis of the face, arm, or leg
Numbness or tingling of the face, arm, or leg
Loss of speech, slurred or confused speech

Some Basics...

New face, arm, or leg weakness on one side of the body is almost always serious.
The same is true for new numbness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body.
Of course, new slurred speech or trouble speaking is also usually serious.
A person with these symptoms should seek emergency care right away.

Causes

Bells Palsy : This is one-sided face weakness due to a paralyzed facial nerve. The main symptom is a crooked smile.
Brain tumor
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Guillain-Barré Syndrome
Head trauma with brain bleeding (such as epidural or subdural hematoma)
Hemiplegic or hemisensory migraine
Meningitis, encephalitis
Multiple sclerosis
Neuropathy
Spinal cord problem (such as tumor, disc protrusion, epidural abscess)
Stroke ("Brain Attack", cerebrovascular accident, CVA)
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
TIA (transient ischemic attack)
Todd's paralysis : This is one-sided weakness that happens after a seizure and then goes away.
Transverse Myelitis

What is a stroke (brain attack)?

A stroke means a part of the brain is damaged because blood flow to that area has stopped.
Ischemic stroke is a type of stroke that occurs when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked with a blood clot.
The clot may form in a very narrow blood vessel or may travel to the brain from another area in the body. Another medical term for this type of stroke is ischemic cerebral vascular accident (CVA).
Hemorrhagic stroke is a type of stroke that occurs when a blood vessel breaks and causes bleeding in the brain. Another medical term for this type of stroke is hemorrhagic cerebral vascular accident (CVA).
A layperson term that means the same thing is brain attack.

Symptoms of a stroke are:

Sudden onset of weakness or numbness of one side of the body
Sudden loss of speech or vision, and/or
Sudden dizziness and unsteadiness
There may or may not be a headache

Some less common symptoms are:

Blurred or seeing double
Coma (not responding, will not wake up)
Confusion

Treatment depends on the type of stroke and how quickly a person seeks care. In some cases a clot buster drug can be used. However, for this drug to work best, it needs to be given within a few hours of when symptoms start.

What is a TIA?

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) means the blood flow to an area in the brain is blocked for a brief time.
Common causes are a small blood clot in a blood vessel or a blood vessel that is too narrow.
A more common name for this problem is a mini stroke.

The symptoms are the same as a stroke, but they go away after a few minutes or hours.

When to Call for Weak or Numb Face/Limb

When to Call for Weak or Numb Face/Limb
Call 911 Now Trouble waking up or acting confused New or sudden onset of weakness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body New or sudden onset of numbness (loss of feeling) of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body New or sudden onset of slurred speech or trouble talking You think you have a life-threatening emergency Call Doctor or Seek Care Now New or sudden onset of tingling (pins and needles) of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body Any of the following symptoms that have lasted longer than one week: Weakness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body Numbness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body Slurred speech or trouble talking Any of the following symptoms that are longstanding but getting worse: Weakness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body Numbness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body Slurred speech or trouble talking New numbness or tingling of both hands New numbness or tingling of both feet Back pain with numbness (loss of feeling) in groin or rectal area You are worried you may have Bell's palsy (weakness of one side of face, developing over hours to days, no other symptoms) You feel weak or very sick You think you need to be seen, and the problem is urgent	Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours You think you need to be seen, but the problem is not urgent Contact Doctor During Office Hours Any of the following symptoms are longstanding and unchanged: Weakness of the face, arm, or leg Numbness or tingling of the face, arm, or leg Loss of speech or garbled speech You have other questions or concerns	Self Care at Home Brief (now gone) tingling or burning feeling in hand after bumped elbow Brief (now gone) tingling of hand after laying on arm a long time such as during sleep Brief (now gone) tingling in foot after sitting with legs crossed for a long time

Call 911 Now

Trouble waking up or acting confused
New or sudden onset of weakness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body
New or sudden onset of numbness (loss of feeling) of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body
New or sudden onset of slurred speech or trouble talking
You think you have a life-threatening emergency

Call Doctor or Seek Care Now

New or sudden onset of tingling (pins and needles) of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body
Any of the following symptoms that have lasted longer than one week:
- Weakness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body
- Numbness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body
- Slurred speech or trouble talking
Any of the following symptoms that are longstanding but getting worse:
- Weakness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body
- Numbness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body
- Slurred speech or trouble talking
New numbness or tingling of both hands
New numbness or tingling of both feet
Back pain with numbness (loss of feeling) in groin or rectal area
You are worried you may have Bell's palsy (weakness of one side of face, developing over hours to days, no other symptoms)
You feel weak or very sick
You think you need to be seen, and the problem is urgent

Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours

You think you need to be seen, but the problem is not urgent

Contact Doctor During Office Hours

Any of the following symptoms are longstanding and unchanged:
- Weakness of the face, arm, or leg
- Numbness or tingling of the face, arm, or leg
- Loss of speech or garbled speech
You have other questions or concerns

Self Care at Home

Brief (now gone) tingling or burning feeling in hand after bumped elbow
Brief (now gone) tingling of hand after laying on arm a long time such as during sleep
Brief (now gone) tingling in foot after sitting with legs crossed for a long time

Care Advice

You Suspect a Stroke (Brain Attack)

Call 911 right away if you think you or someone you know is having a stroke.
If you think someone may be having a stroke, act F.A.S.T. and do the following simple test:
- F - Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
- A - Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
- S - Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred or strange?
- T - Time: If you see any of these signs, call 911 right away.

You Bruised your Funny Bone

What You Should Know:
- A bruised ulnar nerve is a mild elbow injury caused by a blow to the elbow (ulnar) nerve.
- The main symptoms are burning pain and tingling that runs down the lower arm into the hand. You may also get pain in the middle, ring, and little (pinkie) fingers.
- Another medical term that means the same thing is ulnar nerve contusion. A more common name for this injury is hitting your funny bone.
What to Expect:
- The burning and tingling should last just a few minutes.
- If the symptoms last longer than 30 minutes, then you should call your doctor.
- If this problem happens to you very often, then you should see your doctor for an exam.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Numbness or tingling lasts longer than 30 minutes
- This happens often
- You think you need to be seen
- You get worse

Your Arm Falls Asleep

What You Should Know:
- Your arm and hand can feel numb if you sleep on the arm wrong.
- Some people describe this as their arm or hand falling asleep.
- Putting too much pressure on one of the nerves in the arm causes this problem.
What to Expect:
- The numbness and tingling should last just a few minutes.
- Stretch and gently move your arm. This should help make your symptoms go away in a few minutes.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Numbness or tingling lasts longer than 30 minutes
- This happens often
- You think you need to be seen
- You get worse

Your Leg Falls Asleep

What You Should Know:
- Your leg and foot can feel numb if you cross your legs for a long period or sit wrong.
- People describe this as their leg or foot falling asleep.
- Putting too much pressure on one of the nerves in the leg, near the knee, causes this problem.
What to Expect:
- The numbness and tingling should last just a few minutes.
- Stretch and gently move your leg. This should help make your symptoms go away in a few minutes.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Numbness or tingling lasts longer than 30 minutes
- This happens often
- You get worse

And remember, contact your doctor if you develop any of the 'Call Your Doctor' symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.

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