Suffering from numbness and headache

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The symptoms which you are having sound more like migraine. Migraines are a common type of headache that can cause severe pain, aura or flashes in vision, and tingling sensation. These sensations of numbness, sometimes called sensory aura, can occur before, during or after the migraine headache begins. Most often the sensations occur on the same side of the body as the pain in the head.

The precise cause of migraine is unclear however a drop in the levels of the brain chemical serotonin is believed to be responsible for the dilatation (widening) of the blood vessels that causes the throbbing headache.

People who suffer from migraine usually identify the triggers which cause migraine and avoid them. So it is important for you to identify the trigger causing headache. Some of the commonest triggers are:

1. Allergies and allergic reactions
2. Bright lights, loud noises, and certain odors or perfumes
3. Physical or emotional stress
4. Changes in sleep patterns or irregular sleep
5. Smoking or exposure to smoke
6. Skipping meals or fasting
7. Alcohol
8. Menstrual cycle fluctuations, birth control pills (in females)
9. Tension headaches
10. Foods such as red wine, aged cheese, smoked fish, chicken livers, figs, and some bean. Other foods such as chocolate, nuts, peanut butter, avocado, banana, citrus, onions, dairy products, and fermented or pickled foods.

Try to identify your trigger for headache and avoid them as much possible.

However, there are other conditions which could have also caused these symptoms like severe cold exposure, peripheral neuropathy, transient ischemic attack, stroke to name few. Hence it is important to evaluate your symptoms with a GP or more specifically if possible with a Neurologist. The doctor will perform a thorough neurological examination and ask you to perform few tests like EEG, CT/MRI of brain and certain blood tests also. These will help in diagnosing the problem accurately so that specific and appropriate treatment can be given to you. Having developed numbness in face and arm needs immediate attention so I would suggest you to take appointment from GP as early possible.

Pain killers like paracetamol 500-1000 mg (max) at the time of attack can be taken for the time being until you get the appointment from your GP. This should not be taken on long term or in higher dose since it can cause various side effects. Follow the medicine which will be prescribed by your GP once he diagnoses the condition. Feel free to ask if you need any further help.

Hope this information was useful to you

Thank you.