Numbness is actually the loss of sensation or feeling in some parts of your body. You may feel like pins and needles, tingling and burning as well in some parts. It may occur anywhere on your body. Today we will talk about the left side of head numb. Experiencing needles or tingling on the left side of the head is very disturbing. You may not feel any temperature or pain in the head and you may even find it difficult to walk. This tingling or numbness on the right side of the head can be caused by some infections of the facial nerve, anxiety and stress, diabetes and other headaches including a migraine. At a later stage, it can cause chronic problems if not treated in time.

6 Main Causes of Numbness in the Back of the Head

1. Lifestyle factors

The numbness in the back of the head is sometimes caused by lifestyle factors. These factors at first trigger headache then lead to numbness.

• Rapid shaking and convulsions

They can also cause numbness and tingling sensation. This is also a sign of spreading of the damage to other parts of the body.

• Stress

Your body releases chemicals when you are stressed. These chemicals used to balance stress change the blood flow and tense your muscles which results in numbness of the head.

• Foods

Some foods are also responsible for causing headaches especially foods which contain preservatives. These foods include cheese, nuts, bacon, hot dogs and cold cuts.

• Alcohol

All the alcoholic drinks contain ethanol which is a chemical that can trigger a headache by widening the blood vessels. Excessive use of these drinks is not good for you.

• Skipping meals

Skipping meals can cause many problems because the brain needs sugar (glucose) from the food to function properly. As blood sugar level falls when you skip a meal (called hypoglycemia), you may experience a headache.

• Lack of sleep

Insomnia can cause headaches and this pain makes it harder for you to sleep at night. This headache is experienced mostly by people suffering from obstructive sleep apnea and their sleep is also disrupted.

2. Nerve injury

Injury to the head can cause nerve damage which can lead to numbness and sometimes other neurological disorders as well. This nerve is also injured due to complications in the dental treatment. Diabetes also plays a role and affects the nerve. It causes pressure and irritation on the cervical nerves.

3. B12 deficiency

Vitamin B12 can also cause nerve damage. B12 is also required for the conversion of a compound which is called methionine into S-adenosylmethionine, also known as SAM. It helps in making a fatty material which surrounds nerves and is known as myelin.

4. Anxiety

Tingling in the head can be due to anxiety and stress as well. The flight response is activated in the body due to stressful situations. Norepinephrine is a stress hormone and direct blood to the areas of the body which needs it the most. This can result in a lack of sensation and tingling in the body especially in the head.

5. Stroke

Strokes can also cause numbness in the back of the head by restricting the blood flow to the head and brain. A stroke interrupts the flow through the artery in the neck and as a result, the circulation of oxygen is impeded and causes numbness.

6. Medication overuse

Sometimes the overuse of the medication your doctor prescribed for you can cause the left side of head numb. When used more than twice in a week, the drugs which are used to treat a headache can instead cause more headaches and numbness on the right side of the head. A headache caused by medication overuse is known as medication overuse headaches and rebound headaches. Some of the medicines can cause headaches if overusing, including ibuprofen, aspirin, acetaminophen, naproxen and some other medicines which are used as the painkiller, like tramadol, hydrocodone, and tramadol.

Practical Tips to Relieve Yourself

• Medical treatments

It is very important to diagnose the underlying problem and then start the proper treatment for it. This also needs proper examinations like nerve conduction, never biopsy, blood tests and electromyography to make a concrete diagnosis.

It is very important to note the specific periods in which you feel numbness and contact a physician as soon as you encounter numbness on the left side of the head. Some symptoms of this numbness can even lead to some life-threatening conditions. Why should you note when it attacks? Because the diagnosis and treatments mostly depend on the duration and severity of the numbness on the left side of the head.

The treatment may include surgery to repair the damaged nerve, medications for blood pressure, anti-inflammatory medications, oral medications, creams, and antidepressants. Sometimes you also need some changes in the diet and psychological therapy as well.

Numbness in the head can also be relieved by taking supplements like vitamin B12, calcium, hemoglobin, glucose and some others.

• Life hacks for relief

Have a bath with warm water

This is a very useful tip and makes sure that pressure is pulled out of your head. All you need is to put your hands into the warm water for a few minutes or choose a bath with warm water.

Simplify your life

You can get relief from numbness by simplifying your life. Your simple life means there are no events causing stress and anxiety. Your symptoms of numbness will reduce if you cut down stress from your life. You need to work less, spend less time in front of the TV and other forms of light entertainment, make a better schedule of your day, argue less, stop buying the stuff which is not needed in your life and do all other necessary things which can simplify your life.

Control your breathing

This is quite similar to the breathing exercises. You need to perform these exercises even when you are not feeling any numbness in the head. At least perform them for five minutes every hour of the daytime. The more regularly you do the exercise, the more capable you are to control breathing even when you are not exercising. This will make sure that your body breathes in the right way and help you control numbness as well.

Anxiety timeouts

Adrenaline level rises when anxiety is constant which leads to physical problems like numbness. Give yourself some short breaks so that your adrenaline level fall to the normal rate. Some of the ways to get timeouts from anxiety are short walks, listening to music, relaxation sounds, hot showers or you can sit quite in a peaceful atmosphere for 10 minutes. You can try anything which works for you but you need to give yourself some break to control the numbness in the head.

Numbness is the loss of sensation in some specific part of the body. Some lifestyle factors and medical issues like overuse of medications or stroke can cause numbness in the head. You can contact a physician and get some treatment or follow some practical tips which can help you get relief from numbness. You can watch this video and find out more ways to stop numbness and tingling.