MY LIPS FEEL NUMB AND WEIRD

Do you ever feel like my lips feel numb and weird? This feeling is generally known as “pins and needles”, whereas medically it is known as “paresthesia”.

Paresthesia is feeling tingling, numb, weird, and numb sensations on any body part, without any apparent cause. It is painless, and can occur on any body part including lips. This feeling may be transient, or remain for a longer period.

Paresthesia or pins and needles is usually because of nerve compression or poor blood circulation to the area affected.

This feeling is usually because of non-serious causes, but there are many underlying causes that may make you feel like my lips feel numb and weird.

In this article we will look for the causes, which are as follows:

• Allergies.

• Herpes Simplex.

• Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency.

• Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose).

• Stroke.

• Hypoparathyroidism (low parathyroid hormone).

• Panic attack.

• Raynaud’s phenomenon.

• Immunological conditions (Lupus, and Multiple Sclerosis).

• Cheilosis.

• Bell’s Palsy.

• Vasculitis.

Further in this article we will discuss:

• Home remedies.

• When to see a doctor?

• Takeaway.

ALLERGIES:

Your immune system may, sometimes, feel like certain environmental factor (like pollen) or plant-based foods (like raw vegetables, fruits, or seeds) are harmful for your body and cause a local reaction to it, which might cause a condition where you feel my lips are feeling numb and weird.

The condition where your lips feel numb and weird after getting in contact with these food items is called Oral Allergy Syndrome.

Symptoms are:

• Lip numbness.
• Swelling of lips, throat, and tongue.
• Feeling of tightening of throat.
• Swollen face.

Visit a doctor if you feel out of breath, and swelling is extreme, or your throat is tightening.

HERPES SIMPLEX:

There is a virus called Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 which causes blisters around your lips, nose, or chin. It is a contagious condition.

These blisters are usually painful, and filled with fluid.

They usually go away in 2-4 weeks spontaneously, whereas medicines may help you to shorten the course.

The blisters bursts in a few days, with fluid oozing out of it, and this may relieve you of the pain and you will no longer feel like my lips feel numb and weird.

Symptoms of cold sores include:

• Itching or burning of lips.
• Numb and weird lips.
• Fever.
• Pain in lips, tongue, gums, and mouth.
• Sore throat.

There are some factors that trigger your cold sores including weak immune system (cancer, some medicines, chemotherapies), stress (physical or emotional), extreme temperature (hot or cold), or even hormonal fluctuations.

There are some creams and ointments that help you relieve you of pain and the blisters. Over-the-counter pain relievers help you with the pain.

Visit a doctor in case your sores do not get away and last longer than usual.

VITAMIN B₁₂ DEFICIENCY:

Vitamin B₁₂ is needed by your body to keep your blood cells and nerves healthy by making the DNA in all the cells. We need a factor for this Vitamin B₁₂ to be absorbed called Intrinsic Factor, that your stomach secretes. This happens for a number of causes. Sometimes your immune system attacks the cells that help us absorb this vitamin, and you have deficiency of Vitamin B₁₂.

This deficiency leads to anemia, and weakens your nerves. This causes numbness in different body parts, and you may feel like my lips feel numb and weird.

Symptoms include:

• Numbness and weakness.
• Mouth ulcers.
• Psychological problems (depression and confusion).
• Problem with understanding.
• Problem with memory.

Visit a doctor in case you feel any such symptom along with lips feeling numb and weak.

HYPOGLYCEMIA:

Hypoglycemia is caused when glucose levels in your body drop. Glucose is important for your brain to function properly. When glucose levels drop, your brain doesn’t function well, which leads to your nerves being weak. Weak nerves result in tingling feeling, or pins and needles, and you may feel like my lips feel numb and weird.

Symptoms of Hypoglycemia include:

• Sweating.
• Hunger.
• Confusion.
• Numbness.
• Weakness.
• Dizziness.

This usually improves with you eating something, and glucose levels going up. But see a doctor if you symptoms worsen.

STROKE:

Our brain needs a proper flow of blood to function properly, more than any other body part. Almost 20% of all the blood of our body is supplied to the brain. If there is a lack of blood flow, or if there is bleeding in the area, it will result in a blood flow that is insufficient for the brain to work properly. This results in cell death, and you might feel symptomatic, and might even feel like my lips feel numb and weird.

Symptoms include:

• Numbness or weakness of one side of the body.
• Imbalance.
• Dizziness.
• Confusion.
• Difficulty in talking.
• Severe headache.
• Slumping of face, mouth, or eye on one side.

You are at a risk of getting stroke if you’ve high blood pressure, you have a heart disease, diabetes, if you take oral contraceptives, obesity, and some other factors.

If you show these symptoms, you should not delay and call emergency.

HYPOPARATHYROIDISM:

Parathyroid is a gland in your body that secrets parathyroid hormone which helps keep calcium in check in our body. Hypoparathyroidism is a condition where your body produces less parathyroid hormone. This results in low levels of calcium in your blood. This may cause muscle spasms, and you may feel like my lips feel numb and weird.

Symptoms of hypoparathyroidism:

• Numbness and tingling sensation in fingers, hands, and lips.
• Muscle cramps.
• Rough and dry skin.
• Hair loss.
• Anxiety.

PANIC ATTACK:

Our body responds to stress and danger, or even excitement. Panic attack is when it exaggerates to do so, and responses in an overemphasized manner. Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder where you get regular attacks of panic.

This is not a life-threatening condition, but the symptoms make you very uneasy. You may feel like you’re losing yourself, your heart is pounding, or feel like my lips feel numb and weird.

Symptoms include:

• Numbness.
• Pounding heart.
• Nausea.
• Shortness of breath.
• Dizziness.
• Dry mouth.
• Fear of dying.

Even though it is not a life-threatening condition, but you may need to learn how to cope up with the stress. In case it is beyond your capability, you may have to visit a doctor who will recommend some drugs so that you calm down whenever you are feeling like you are having a panic attack.

RAYNAUD’S PHENOMENON:

This is a phenomenon where our body reacts to cold environment, stress, or emotions. In this phenomenon blood flow is decreased and can no longer reach the distal parts (fingers, nose tip, ears, nipples). Due to this abnormal response the vessels contract and can no longer supply blood to these parts.

This condition can be painful, and occurs because of underlying causes which may include blood disorders, or some immunological disorders like Lupus, Scleroderma, Sjogren syndrome, and many others.

Symptoms include:

• Numbness.
• Pale or white areas, that turn blue during stress, and then red when warmed.
• Pain.

Smoking may worsen your symptoms, and you should stop smoking if you are a smoker. If it is not taken care of, and if it prolongs, it may cause that body area to die, and you may have to go through amputation.

IMMUNOLOGICAL DISORDERS:

Immune system may over-react to certain things and damage your own body. Many such conditions cause your nerves to be weak because they involve the nerves as well. You may feel tingling and numbness in your body parts, and sometime you may feel like my lips feel numb and weird.

 Two of these conditions are Lupus, and Multiple Sclerosis.

Symptoms include:

• Numbness.
• Bowel problems.
• Kidney problems.
• Dizziness.
• Fatigue.
• Vision problems.

You should always get yourself checked in case you feel these symptoms, as delay may result in dangerous consequences.

CHEILOSIS:

It is a condition where the ends or edges of your lips are inflamed. This causes you pain, and makes your lips vulnerable to cracking.

There are many reasons as to why cheilosis occurs, like vitamin B deficiency, bad fitting of dentures or braces, iron deficiency, or some infections.

Symptoms are:

• Cracking and painful lips.
• Lips feel numb and weird.
• Red skin around lips.

BELL’S PALSY:

Bell’s palsy is a condition which occurs where there is an involvement of nerve 7 (also known as facial nerve), and is usually idiopathic. But some causes like infections (herpes) have been seen to be associated with this condition. One of the symptoms of Bell’s palsy may be where you feel like my lips feel numb and weird.

VASCULITIS:

Vasculitis is a condition where your blood vessels are inflamed. Symptoms depend on what body parts these vessels supply to. It might cause a number of symptoms including:

• Fever.
• Lips feel numb and weird.
• Pain in joints.
• Fatigue or weakness.

HOME REMEDIES:

• Avoid trigger food if you feel like it triggers with food.
• Warm yourself if your lips aur fingers turn white.
• Supplements.
• Stop smoking.

WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR:

If you feel like my lips feel numb and weird, and it gets over in no time, it is okay to be. But it is important to know the symptoms, when seen, you should visit a doctor.

Symptoms include:

• Difficulty in swallowing.
• Difficulty in talking.
• Drooping down of face, eye, or mouth to one side.
• Dizziness.
• If you feel like you cannot breathe.
• If the numbness remains for a long time.

TAKEAWAY:

Even though lip numbness can be because of many such causes that do not need any medical intervention, but it is important to educate yourself of the condition, and know whatever is in your might so that you do not face dangerous consequences.

Causes of lip numbness can range from normal causes like food allergy, cold sores, to causes where medical intervention is needed like stroke, lupus, and multiple sclerosis.

Know that lip numbness may stay for a little while, and improve on its own, in case it does not visit a doctor and seek medical attention. It is always better to get yourself checked as soon possible than to face the consequences which might be dangerous for your health.