Face Numbness Causes

The absence of or distorted feelings experienced in the facial area is a sign of face numbness. One may even feel a bit of tingling sensation on the face and lips. This facial numbness and tingling may also be accompanied by other symptoms like swellings, loss of control over the facial muscles, burning sensation, etc. Face numbness may be felt on one or both the sides of the face. The severity of numb face may range from mild to complete paralysis of the facial region affected. This condition may be temporary or permanent. There are a number of face numbness causes, of which Bell's Palsy is the most common one. The following paragraphs will discuss Bell's Palsy as well as other causes of numb face.

Causes of Numbness in Face

The face is that part of the skull that consists of the cranial and facial bones that is covered by facial nerves and muscles. These nerves carry brain impulses to-and-fro, that help in the movement of the muscles as required. There is a bunch of nerves called the trigeminal nerve located at the base of the brain. This bunch runs throughout the face and any injury or damage to these nerves can lead to numbness in the face. At times, cold temperatures may also cause numbness and tingling. Let us see some of the face numbness causes mentioned below:

Bell's Palsy
There is about one in every 5000 people in United States, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, who are said to suffer from Bell's Palsy annually. This is a condition where the face suffers from temporary numbness and paralysis. The reason being damage to facial nerves. Bell's palsy can be caused by a viral infection like meningitis, herpes virus, etc. These infections lead to inflammation of the facial nerves that causes numbness in the face.

Trigeminal Neuralgia
Neuropathic facial pain or trigeminal neuralgia is a nerve disorder affecting the trigeminal nerve. This nerve runs through the face. Due to idiopathic reasons this condition causes pain in the face. This pain is felt around the lips, eyes, nose, ears, etc. The pain may be dull burning pain or it may be so intense that it is termed as the suicide disease. Trigeminal neuralgia, apart from the pain, also causes face numbness and tingling in face.

Multiple Sclerosis
This is an autoimmune disease that causes the body's own cells to attack and damage their own nerve cells. The immune cells attack myelin, the fatty protective covering around the nerves. Multiple sclerosis causes the myelin to breakdown, resulting in damage to the nerves. This is one of the most common face numbness causes as well as numbness in other body extremities.

Pinched Nerves
There are three branches of trigeminal nerve; the ophthalmic nerve, maxillary nerve and mandibular nerve. If there is any irritation or injury to these nerves due to herniated disc injury, it leads to pinched nerve. This pinched nerve condition causes partial facial numbness as well as tingling sensations.

Central Nervous System Disorders
One of the most common causes of numbness in the face is mild stroke. When a blood vessel ruptures causing decrease in oxygen supply to the brain, it leads to stroke. The lack of oxygen to the brain leads to face numbness, mostly on one side. However, unlike Bell's Palsy, a person with face numbness due to stroke, will be able to wrinkle his forehead or close an eye. Transient ischemic attacks, that are kind of miniature strokes may also be one of the face numbness causes.

Vitamin Deficiency
Vitamin deficiency, especially, vitamin B12 deficiency can cause numbness of the face as well as throughout the body. Lack of potassium, calcium or sodium in the body can also lead to facial numbness.

Shingles
The infection caused by varicella zoster virus can lead to shingles. The shingles virus van lead to eruption of red rash, itching, fever, chills, headache and fatigue. If the rash erupts on the facial region, it may lead to burning, tingling and facial numbness.

Neuropathy
An injury to the face, head, neck or spine may damage some of the nerves. This may lead to numbness of face. Neuropathy or nerve damage may also occur due to an underlying disease or disorder. If one feels numbness in face along with weakness of the arms or legs on one side of the body, it could be an indication of oncoming stroke. A splitting headache, loss of consciousness, unresponsiveness are all signs of stroke. Thus, one should call emergency medical services immediately in this case.

Cancerous Tumors
Tumors that grow from the nerve sheath, called scwhannomas can lead to facial numbness, tingling and pain. This numbness will progress over the months and requires medical attention. It may even be accompanied by loss of hearing and loss of facial sensation. Another tumor called meningiomas can invade nerves and compress it anywhere along its path. In many cases of metastatic cancer, especially in breast cancer, one may experience numbness in chin.

Other Causes
There are plenty of other causes of numbness in face. These may include stress, depression, panic attack or hyperventilation symptoms. Migraines may lead to perioral numbness, that is, numbness around the mouth in some individuals. It can also be due to a medical condition called diabetic neuropathy or side effects of certain drugs. These drugs contain inhibitors that alter the neurotransmitters and their functions leading to numbness of face and other body parts. Autoimmune diseases such as Sjogren's Disease, scleroderma and systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) may also lead to face numbness and tingling.

Many times the face numbness causes are not always so grave. It can also be due to a strain looking at the computer screen for long hours or holding the head at a particular angle for a long time. Maybe you slept in a very awkward position leading to face numbness. You might feel pins and needles for sometime and your face gets normal again. These are just a few causes of numbness in the face, that will help you seek medical attention on time, if needed.