BODY SIGNAL ALERT: MOUTH, NUMBNESS OF
Description and Possible Medical Problems
If you’ve ever had novocaine at the dentist’s office, then you know what a numb mouth feels like.
Some people who are chronic worriers bite their lips a lot, which can result in a lack of sensation in the lips. But if you discover that the area around your mouth is numb, it might be a sign of a lack of blood flow to the brain. This could be a signal of impending stroke.
Frequently, when a stroke has occurred, your mouth will feel numb either around the lips or on one side of them. Most people who have had a stroke also have a numb arm and/or leg—if both, they’ll be on the same side of the body—and difficulty with their speech and/or vision.
Sometimes numbness around the mouth caused by poor circulation to the brain can also be accompanied by a sudden loss of consciousness.
Treatment
Many times, treatment will include aspirin, but only after a vascular flow study of the vessels of the neck that lead to the brain, along with, possibly, an angiogram and a CAT scan or MRI. A low-salt, low-fat diet is prescribed, along with prescription medication that will lower blood pressure.
*241\167\8*
