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What Causes Numb Feeling Of Leg, Short Breath And Weak Arm?
Dear Doctor
I am a 20 Jr old female, and experiencing a weird/uncomfortable/dumb feeling in my left arm. I got this feeling ever since I can remember. But for the past 2 months I have this feeling and felt like it got worse. I have to hit my arm and give it some painful pressure or stretches to make it feel a little bit better, but that doesn't really work. I am experiencing with the left arm for 2 weeks now, shortness of breath, but have no pain in my chest. Today my hand started getting worse for I couldn't even hold my phone properly for it felt too heavy, and my arm was too weak to help me hold it. Although I can still move all my fingers and lift up my arm, the feelings of weakness comes and go, but still the weird feeling remains.
Please can you help me?
I am a 20 Jr old female, and experiencing a weird/uncomfortable/dumb feeling in my left arm. I got this feeling ever since I can remember. But for the past 2 months I have this feeling and felt like it got worse. I have to hit my arm and give it some painful pressure or stretches to make it feel a little bit better, but that doesn't really work. I am experiencing with the left arm for 2 weeks now, shortness of breath, but have no pain in my chest. Today my hand started getting worse for I couldn't even hold my phone properly for it felt too heavy, and my arm was too weak to help me hold it. Although I can still move all my fingers and lift up my arm, the feelings of weakness comes and go, but still the weird feeling remains.
Please can you help me?
posted on
Fri, 14 Mar 2014
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Fri, 13 Jan 2017
Answered on
Fri, 13 Jan 2017
Last reviewed on
Hi,
You should know that your symptoms can be related to different disorders:
- a brain lesion (including a tumor, a demyelinating disease, an infection, etc.)
- a peripheral nerve damage
- anxiety
Coming to this point I would recommend consulting with a neurologist for a physical check up and some tests:
- a brain MRI
- blood electrolytes for possible imbalance
- complete blood count, PCR, sedimentation rate for inflammation
If a peripheral nerve damage is suspected (diminished reflexes during physical exam), a nerve conduction study would be necessary. But, in case your physical neurological exam results normal, there is nothing to be concerned of. In such case you should consider anxiety as the main cause of your troubles.
Hope you will find this answer helpful. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Best wishes,
Dr. Aida
You should know that your symptoms can be related to different disorders:
- a brain lesion (including a tumor, a demyelinating disease, an infection, etc.)
- a peripheral nerve damage
- anxiety
Coming to this point I would recommend consulting with a neurologist for a physical check up and some tests:
- a brain MRI
- blood electrolytes for possible imbalance
- complete blood count, PCR, sedimentation rate for inflammation
If a peripheral nerve damage is suspected (diminished reflexes during physical exam), a nerve conduction study would be necessary. But, in case your physical neurological exam results normal, there is nothing to be concerned of. In such case you should consider anxiety as the main cause of your troubles.
Hope you will find this answer helpful. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Best wishes,
Dr. Aida
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