3 Uncommon Things That Can Cause Neurological Symptoms

Certain health conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes, sciatica, and brain disorders, can cause neurological symptoms that can affect your entire body, even your eyes. While neurological symptoms, such as numbness, tingling, loss of sensation, and feeling as though your skin is being pricked by a needle, can often be diagnosed through blood tests and medical imaging examinations, sometimes the cause is never determined. Here are three uncommon things that may cause neurological symptoms and what you can do about them:

Dental Abscess

A dental abscess refers to a severe infection in your tooth. While symptoms usually include a toothache, swelling of the gum tissue surrounding the affected tooth, drainage, a bad taste in your mouth, and sometimes fever and sore throat, other less common symptoms may occur. When you have an infected upper molar, it may cause inflammation of your facial nerve, leading to numbness, tingling, and burning sensations in your eye area, cheek, and chin.

Although these symptoms usually resolve once your abscess has been treated, they may linger indefinitely. If this is the case, your doctor may refer you to a neurologist for further evaluation and treatment. Vitamin and mineral supplements such as vitamin B12, vitamin C, and magnesium may help diminish inflammation of your facial nerve, relieving your pain. Over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen may also be effective in minimizing your discomfort. 

Vaccinations

If you accidentally cut yourself and you are not up-to-date on your vaccinations, you may need a tetanus booster. While effective in reducing the risk for tetanus, this vaccination may trigger a systemic inflammatory response.

If you get a tetanus shot and notice abnormal sensations in your face or extremities, see your doctor. You may be experiencing an unusual immune response to the tetanus toxoid vaccination. In most cases your symptoms will disappear without any treatment, but they may persist for months after receiving the vaccine.

A tetanus shot may also heighten the risk for a condition known as gastroparesis, which refers to delayed or slow gastric motility. If you have gastroparesis, you may experience nausea and vomiting, and become full after only eating a small amount of food. Like with other neurological conditions, magnesium, B vitamins, and vitamin C may offer some relief. 

Hormonal Fluctuations

Hormonal fluctuations, especially those experienced by women during their menopausal years can lead to neurological symptoms such as numbness, tingling, crawling sensations, burning sensations on the skin, and increased sensitivity to even the slightest touch.

These symptoms are thought to be related to low levels of circulating estrogen, however neurological manifestations may also be caused by diabetes, a herniated disc, thyroid problems, nutritional deficiencies, and anxiety.

Another menopausal-related condition that can lead you to seek neurological services and treatment is burning mouth syndrome which can cause burning sensations in the mouth, on the tongue and lips, dry mouth, and alterations in taste.

According to DermNet NZ, burning mouth syndrome "probably affects approximately 1% of the general population, rising as high as 30% in selected populations such as post-menopausal women." While this condition can go away without any treatment, your doctor may recommend hormone replace therapy, antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, or topical anesthetics. 

If you develop neurological symptoms, one of the above things may be to blame. The sooner your doctor determines the source of your abnormal sensations, the sooner an effective neurological services and treatment plan can be put into place. 

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