Numbness in the feet is a problem that affects many people, the reasons why feet fall asleep are many but it occurs more frequently among those over 50 years old, as well as those who suffer from overweight and some systemic diseases that we will detail later.
However, many young people may also suffer from this annoying tingling sensation in the feet that occurs after sitting in the same position for a while or even while they are in bed sleeping or resting.
The first cause of numbness of the feet is a problem in the circulatory system at the level of the lower extremities that affects the flow of oxygenated blood through the arteries and the return of carbon dioxide-containing blood through the veins.
Arterial hypertension and atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries are also other causes of tingling in the feet, as they considerably affect blood flow to this part of the body and can cause problems at the muscular and nervous levels.
In addition, there are a large number of people who are particularly sensitive to low temperatures, which cause in them a strong contraction of blood vessels, especially in the feet.
Finally, the consumption of certain medications can affect the blood flow in the feet and cause occasional or frequent numbness.
Numbness due to neurological problems
The sensation of numbness may not only have its origin in circulation problems, but also in complications related to the nervous system.
Some diseases such as diabetes, smoking and alcoholism can damage the nerves and cause all kinds of sensory and movement problems in the lower extremities.
Tingling of the feet is usually a consequence of this type of problem and is not always easy to correct because there is already damage to the nerve branches.
Numbness of mechanical origin
Numbness in the feet can be caused by wearing very tight footwear, which presses on the nerves of the foot.
On other occasions, inadequate footwear forces the person to compensate for the weight of the foot by applying pressure to sensitive areas of the foot, which can cause cramps and tingling.
In certain cases a deformation of the sole of the foot or toes can also increase the pressure of the shoe on certain sensitive places as it leads to continuous compression and cause paresthesia.
Tips
If you suffer from tingling in your feet frequently, you should see a podiatrist for an evaluation and a recommendation on the best way to control this problem.
If you have systemic diseases that may affect your circulatory or nervous system, you should follow the recommended treatment and seek professional help to choose the right footwear to avoid stress and problems when walking.
Of course, any action you take must be supported by a biomechanical, vascular or neurological study to help assess the best way to solve your case.
Article prepared by Clínica San Román
08-12-2020
