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Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Loss of Sensation - Numbness

Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors

Numbness is a term used to describe a lack of ability to feel touch, temperature, or pain.

What is going on in the body?

Different people mean different things when they use the word numb. As related to a physical complaint, most people use the term to describe a lack of ability to feel touch or pain on the surface of their bodies. In most cases, numbness is related to nerve damage.

What are the causes and risks of the condition?

There are many conditions that can cause numbness, including:

diabetes mellitus, a condition in which the level of sugar in the blood is too high. This slowly damages nerves over time. Diabetic neuropathy, or nerve damage from diabetes, is one of the most common causes of numbness.

toxins and drugs, such as alcohol, arsenic, and certain chemotherapy medications used to treat cancer

injury or trauma to an area, including previous surgery

carpal tunnel syndrome, which can cause numbness in the hand from pressure on a nerve

vitamin deficiencies, such as B1\ \B2\ \B6\ \pantothenic acid\ \folic acid\ \niacin\ \biotin\ Cobalamin is the general name for vitamin B12. ',CAPTION,'Vitamin B12');" onmouseout="return nd();">vitamin B12, vitamin B6, and vitamin B2\ \niacin\ \vitamin B6\ \vitamin B12\ \folate\ \biotin\ \pantothenic acid\',CAPTION,'Vitamin B1');" onmouseout="return nd();">thiamine

brain damage, such as from a stroke or brain tumor

cancer, especially lung cancer and breast cancer in the later stages, and blood cancers, such as multiple myeloma or lymphoma

infections, such as HIV, Borrelia burgdorferi.\ It is passed to humans through tick bites. ',CAPTION,'Lyme Disease');" onmouseout="return nd();">Lyme disease, and herpes zoster

hormone imbalances, such as low thyroid hormone levels called hypothyroidism, or high levels of growth hormone, sometimes called acromegaly

severe liver disease, such as cirrhosis

severe kidney disease, such as chronic renal failure

autoimmune disorders, conditions in which a person's immune system attacks his or her own body, such as multiple sclerosis or Guillain-Barre syndrome

anxiety, including a condition known as conversion disorder

inherited conditions, such as a rare condition called hereditary sensory neuropathy

Other causes are also possible. Sometimes, no cause can be found.

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