Inflammation of the trigeminal (facial) nerve

1. Physiological reasons
2. Dental reasons
3. Paresthesia of the lips due to damage or inflammation of the trigeminal nerve
4. Numbness due to migraine with aura
5. Numb lips due to stroke
6. Numb lips due to diabetes
7. Numb lips due to allergies
8. Shingles
9. Neuroses and multiple sclerosis
10. Anemia
11. Diagnosis and treatment

Lip paresthesia (numbness) is a condition in which tissue sensitivity decreases or disappears.
This process may be accompanied by tingling or other sensations. Numbness of the lips occurs for physiological reasons and is one of the symptoms of a certain pathology. First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the frequency of occurrence and duration of this condition, its spread to other parts of the face and body. Lips may go numb in people who suffer from neurological and dental diseases, diabetes, anemia, allergies and a number of other diseases. If the symptom occurs frequently, an examination by a dentist and neurologist is recommended to determine the exact cause of the numbness.

Physiological reasons

Tissue sensitivity may decrease upon contact with very hot or cold food or drinks. This happens when a person eats ice cream, drinks tea or coffee that is too hot, or eats too spicy food. A similar phenomenon is observed outside in cold weather. The skin of the lips becomes chapped, cracks appear, and sensitivity decreases. Physiological numbness in most cases does not cause harm to health. As soon as contact with the irritant ceases, tissue sensitivity is restored.

To avoid the negative consequences of low-temperature exposure, you should use lipsticks and balms that will protect the skin from chapping and painful cracks.

Another possible cause of tissue numbness is cosmetic and cosmetic procedures. For example, lip products with red pepper extract may cause a slight burning sensation or numbness of the tissues. Some women experience a decrease in lip sensitivity after tattooing if the procedure was performed incorrectly or the wrong lip care was chosen after it.

Dental reasons

When treating teeth and performing some types of cosmetic procedures, local anesthesia is used, which reduces the sensitivity of tissues. During the period of action of the drug, lips, cheeks, and other areas of the face become numb. After completion of the therapeutic manipulations, sensitivity is restored on its own.

Numbness of the lips and tongue is accompanied by inflammatory processes in the oral cavity. This happens with gingivitis, periodontal disease, and purulent lesions. Soft tissues are involved in the pathological process, which causes swelling and impaired receptor sensitivity.

How to eliminate lip cramps?

The lower lip becomes numb and the reasons are established, from this moment therapy begins, taking into account the results of the medical study. It is not recommended to do anything on your own. Medicines are selected by a specialized specialist, depending on the disease that provoked the cramp of the lower lip.

Drug therapy

Medicines must be taken strictly, following the instructions of the attending physician. Many drugs cause side effects and have serious contraindications. If the lower lip is numb, the patient is prescribed the following medications:

Considering the source of the unpleasant symptom, the patient may be prescribed symptomatic therapy with the use of other medications (antihistamines, anti-inflammatory drugs, hormonal drugs).

Physiotherapeutic procedures

Complex treatment of lip paralysis is carried out with the aim of restoring blood circulation in the area of ​​nerve damage and eliminating associated symptoms.

Along with medications, doctors recommend their patients to attend physiotherapeutic procedures:

The described procedures restore not only blood flow, but also lymph movement. During the treatment, the skin also receives a beneficial effect, its appearance improves, and paresthesia is eliminated.

Folk remedies

The lower lip goes numb (the reasons for what to do if discomfort occurs will be determined by the doctor after examination and diagnosis) against the background of various pathologies. Therapy is carried out using different methods.

Non-traditional methods in the fight against various pathological processes can be used, but only comprehensively and strictly after consultation with a specialized doctor. It is important to always remember the high risk of an allergic reaction or individual sensitivity.

Effective folk remedies for numbness of the lower lip:

In folk medicine there are a large number of recipes that will help eliminate the symptoms present in paresthesia of the lower lip. It is important to remember that unconventional methods alone will not be able to cure you, especially if we are talking about a serious illness.

In the absence of timely treatment, the lower lip becomes numb more often, which indicates the progression of pathological processes. It is important to promptly identify the cause of the disease and select treatment. There is no need to do anything on your own, as it can cause serious complications and consequences.

Numbness due to migraine with aura

Migraines with aura are attacks of severe headaches, which are preceded by impaired tissue sensitivity, visual disturbances (spots and “floaters” before the eyes), and speech impairment.

Patients with the neurological disease experience temporary numbness of the lips and sometimes half of the face. In some cases, the sensitivity of the upper limb may decrease. In addition to these symptoms, migraine with aura is accompanied by severe headache, which is pressing or throbbing in nature, dizziness and nausea.

Numb lips due to diabetes

For patients with diabetes, it is important to control blood glucose levels and avoid sudden increases or decreases in sugar. Lips may become numb due to hypoglycemia - a decrease in glucose levels below 2.8 mmol/l. This happens when you take too high a dose of insulin or violate your diet or skip meals.

In addition to numbness of the lips, the patient experiences severe weakness, tremors in the limbs, rapid heartbeat, and excessive sweating. In severe cases, hypoglycemia leads to loss of consciousness and coma. To eliminate this dangerous condition, you need to eat something sweet with quickly doubling carbohydrates. If the patient is unconscious, intravenous glucose and glucagon injection are required.

Why does my upper lip go numb?

Physiological and cosmetic reasons

The appearance of the symptom is provoked by eating too cold or too hot food.
Numbness can also be a consequence of previous irritation of the upper lip from pepper or hot spices. At the same time, similar sensations are observed on the tongue and oral mucosa. The symptoms quickly disappear after stopping contact with the product. At sub-zero temperatures, strong winds, and high humidity, lips easily become chapped and crusty. Crusts impair the perception of tactile stimuli by nerve receptors, so their formation is accompanied by a feeling of numbness, which is complemented by a feeling of tightness due to a decrease in the elasticity of the skin, and the appearance of cracks.

In women, a decrease in lip sensitivity can be explained by individual intolerance to cosmetics (lipstick, lip gloss). Local itching, burning, and signs of skin irritation are possible. In some cases, the symptom is caused by an incorrect tattooing procedure or errors in lip care in the first days after manipulation.

Dental pathologies

One of the most common causes of numbness in the upper lip is diseases of the teeth and gums. The symptom is especially noticeable in severe inflammatory processes, accompanied by severe swelling of the oral mucosa and soft tissues of the face. It is provoked by gumboil, periodontitis, and gingivitis. In addition, numbness of the lip is observed after dental procedures performed under local anesthesia.

Trigeminal nerve injury

Isolated numbness of the upper lip rarely develops and is caused by trauma to the small branches of the n. maxillaris for bruises and open wounds of this anatomical area. A more common sensory disorder, simultaneously covering the upper part of the cheek, the side surface of the face, the outer corner of the eye, and the lower eyelid, is caused by damage to the trunk n. maxillaris, which is the second branch of the trigeminal nerve. It is found in fractures of the upper jaw, zygomatic bone, and compression by tumors.

Numbness of the upper lip

Migraine with aura

In patients with migraine with aura, an attack of cephalgia may be preceded by a transient loss of sensitivity in the hand, spreading to half the face and upper lip. Subsequently, the attack proceeds as usual. There is a throbbing or pressing pain in half of the head, nausea, slight dizziness, high sensitivity to bright light, loud sounds.

Cerebrovascular disorders

Numbness of the upper lip and other parts of the face and body is part of the clinical picture of a transient stroke or stroke. The symptom occurs against the background of headache, weakness, nausea, vomiting, vegetative-vascular manifestations (trembling, sweating, hot flashes), short-term disturbance of consciousness. Hemiparesis, decreased strength of certain muscle groups or one limb, facial asymmetry, and speech impairment are possible.

Hypoglycemia

Numbness of the lip is sometimes detected in patients suffering from severe diabetes mellitus; it develops as a result of severe hypoglycemia when using too high doses of insulin or poor diet. Combined with pallor, sweating, tachycardia, hand tremors. There are feelings of fear, excitement, followed by drowsiness, confusion, and fainting. Without help, coma is possible.

Quincke's edema

Numbness is caused by rapidly increasing swelling of the eyelids, cheeks, upper and lower lips. Quincke's edema forms against the background of an acute allergic reaction upon contact with pollen, animal hair, food, and other allergens. May be a consequence of pseudo-allergy. The condition develops suddenly within a few minutes, less often – hours. Hypoesthesia is often combined with skin itching, lacrimation, the appearance of copious nasal discharge, and difficulty breathing.

Herpes zoster

The cause of the pathology is the virus that persists in the body and causes chickenpox. Shingles symptoms may appear many years or even decades after the viral infection. The upper lip, as well as other parts of the face, become numb due to trigeminal neuritis. Typically, simultaneous involvement of the intercostal nerves, a rash along the affected nerve trunks.

Multiple sclerosis

The disease often manifests itself as weakness in the legs, combined with sensitivity disorders. Numbness and paresthesia are detected in the face, upper lip, torso, and limbs. There is a high probability of developing optic neuritis with reversible vision loss. Subsequently, with multiple sclerosis, paresis, symptoms of cerebellar damage, pyramidal disorders, and dysfunction of the pelvic organs are observed.

Pernicious anemia

The disease is caused by a disorder of hematopoiesis due to a deficiency of vitamin B-12. Manifested by weakness, tachycardia, dizziness, pale skin, puffiness of the face. Possible hypoesthesia of the upper lip, other areas of the face or limbs, and gait changes associated with neurological disorders. A characteristic sign of pernicious anemia is a “lacquered tongue.”

Neuroses

Loss of sensation in various parts of the body most often occurs in patients with hysterical neurosis. The patients’ complaints do not fit into the picture of a specific somatic pathology and are distinguished by pretentiousness and unusualness. Numbness of the upper lip is also sometimes seen in people with anxiety disorders. It may be part of the clinical picture of a panic attack or occur when the level of anxiety increases.

Diagnosis and treatment

Numbness of the lips itself occurs only for physiological reasons and does not require treatment. In other cases, patients note other signs of pathology: pain, weakness, dizziness, etc. Based on these, the cause of the sensitivity disorder can be determined and a treatment regimen can be selected. To make an accurate diagnosis, you need to consult a therapist, dentist or neurologist.

If inflammatory processes or tumors in the oral cavity are suspected, an x-ray is prescribed.
For neurological pathologies, CT and MRI are used to make a diagnosis. Laboratory tests help confirm or exclude the presence of diabetes and anemia. To get rid of numb lips, you need to eliminate the underlying cause. To do this, patients are prescribed drug therapy that effectively combats the symptoms of the disease. For tumors, fractures or injuries of the jaw, pulpitis, abscesses, and strokes, surgical treatment is required.

Diagnosis of inflammation of the trigeminal nerve

Depending on the affected area and the set of symptoms, the strategy for diagnosing the disease is determined. To determine the location of nerve damage, the severity and dynamics of recovery, doctors prescribe a hardware diagnostic method, for example, electromyography. MRI and CT scans are used to determine the presence of tumors in the brain.

The patient may also be referred for a general or biochemical blood test, x-ray of the lungs, ultrasound of soft tissues or ophthalmoscopy.

You can be confident in the quality of the procedures performed in the clinic and the high accuracy of the results of MRI, CT and other methods of diagnosing various diseases. Medunion performs magnetic resonance imaging of all types: head, spine, abdominal cavity and joints using modern equipment.