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Living on Pins and Needles?

November 8, 2021
Is your menopausal life leaving you feeling tingly? Sensations of pricky numbness and pins and needles can be a result of the hormonal changes of menopause. Hormones have a direct effect on our nervous system and skin. When estrogen levels fluctuate, messages between the nervous system and parts of the body can be misinterpreted, resulting in a prickly feeling under the skin. Declining estrogen levels can also affect collagen production, causing the skin to thin and reducing blood flow to nerves in the extremities. Menopause and nerves are intertwined, and your declining estrogen levels may be the cause of your strange sensations. Estrogen levels affect the nervous system and when those levels begin to fluctuate, nerves may often be impacted. The sensation women describe can take a lot of forms: tingling, burning, crawling skin, cold, numbness, the classic pins-and-needles, and increased sensitivity. Women report symptoms from intermittent and mild, to lasting and painful, even suffering discomfort to the point of disrupting sleep. Paresthesia, or skin tingling due to hormone fluctuation, isn’t generally serious. But numbness in the feet can cause balance, injury and falls in women. Other women feel paresthesia can make hand gripping and fine finger movements more difficult as well. Sensations of facial numbness can also be related to these hormonal changes. This symptoms is not rare. Many women experience hand or foot paresthesia, but it's not uncommon to experience the same effects in the face. Facial numbness can be worry-some and can raise concerns about your health. But if your paresthesia is caused by unbalanced estrogen levels, then MedStudio® has the effective treatments and therapies ready to help. Paresthesia due to hormone fluctuation isn’t dangerous on its own, although numbness in the feet can cause women to lose their balance and fall when walking or running.  Paresthesia is not pleasant. An even more painful version is called dysesthesia and can be related to multiple sclerosis, so if your tingling is very painful, make sure to mention it to your healthcare provider. When suffering a bout of paresthesia, it’s important to pay attention to how your body may be affected and make changes to your daily routine to avoid accidents and safety issues. Clumsiness is a common complaint of menopausal women and combined with numbness, can compromise safety and be the cause of injury or accident. These changes can exacerbate menopausal anxiety, it’s always important to check any concerning symptoms with your doctor, because stress can actually make matters worse. Putting an end to the prickling What can you do about the prickling? As usual, there are always lifestyle changes to try first, a great exercise plan and diet changes can always be helpful. Some women find relief through massage or acupuncture because improved circulation also improves paresthesia symptoms and can be beneficial for stress reduction, another paresthesia cause. Always hydrate and work on getting good sleep. B12 deficiency is a little-known cause of paresthesia, other supplements like Vitamin E and magnesium can be the culprit as well, so if you suspect you may be lacking in proper vitamin balance it is a perfect time to talk to MedStudio® about their effective therapies to address and treat any deficiencies. If none of your home remedies make your paresthesia manageable, talk to a doctor about medical interventions like natural hormone replacement therapy topical creams, or a low-dose antidepressant medication for menopause symptom treatment. Tingling and burning can be signs of more dangerous conditions like stroke, so if you experience numbness in one extremity only or half of your body, are experiencing fainting or have slurring of the speech or vision issues, talk to a medical professional right away. If pins and needles related to menopause are disrupting your life and interrupting your sleep, help is available to reduce or moderate the sensations. When paresthesia is impacting your quality of life, make an appointment with MedStudio®’s natural hormone balancing and menopause specialists and do away with prickly pins and needle sensations. Schedule your free consult here