What is paraesthesia?

Pins and needles, needles and pins, but what is that tingling from your hands come within?


Asked by: Anonymous

This is the medical name for pins and needles. Paraesthesia can have all kinds of causes. A relatively benign form is when you warm your hands up quickly after coming in from the cold. After being numbed, the nerves in your fingertips go into overdrive as they come back to life. More seriously, the tingling can be a sign of nerve irritation from diseases like arthritis, diabetes or multiple sclerosis.

Subscribe to BBC Focus magazine for fascinating new Q&As every month and follow @sciencefocusQA on Twitter for your daily dose of fun science facts.