Peripheral Neuropathy Causes: Why Hands and Feet Tingle

Peripheral neuropathy is damage to the peripheral nervous system, the network of nerves that runs from the brain and spinal cord out to the rest of the body. More than 100 types are known, and they can affect nerves that move muscles, sense touch and pain, or control automatic functions.(NINDS, Peripheral Neuropathy)

The signs people notice first are often in the feet and hands. Mayo Clinic lists gradual numbness, prickling or tingling, sharp or burning pain, sensitivity to touch, weakness and poor balance. Some people describe a glove-or-sock feeling.(Mayo Clinic, Peripheral Neuropathy (symptoms, causes))

Those signs are clues, not a diagnosis. The same tingle can come from a dozen different causes, which is why finding the cause comes first.

Diabetes is the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy in the United States, and Mayo Clinic puts diabetes and metabolic syndrome at the top of its list.(Mayo Clinic, Peripheral Neuropathy (symptoms, causes)) About half of people with diabetes have some form of nerve damage, and it is more likely after many years of the disease.(CDC, Diabetes and Your Feet)

High blood sugar over time harms the small blood vessels and the nerves they feed. The damage tends to begin in the feet and move upward.

The ADA's plain advice is that keeping blood glucose on target is the best defense against neuropathy, along with a healthy diet and regular exercise.(ADA, Understanding Neuropathy and Your Diabetes) Numb feet also hide cuts and blisters, so daily foot checks matter.

It can. Vitamin B6 is the surprise. At very high intakes over many months, B6 can itself cause a sensory neuropathy, and the symptoms usually stop when the supplement is stopped early. The adult upper intake level from food and supplements together is 100 mg a day.(NIH ODS, Vitamin B6 (HP))

NINDS names low B12 and excess B6 as the best-known vitamin-related causes of neuropathy.(NINDS, Peripheral Neuropathy)

The lesson is simple. A nerve vitamin is not harmless because it is a vitamin. Know what you take, add up all sources, and tell your doctor. The FlowNerves label lists no B6.

Not every tingle is a disease of many nerves. A nerve can be squeezed in one place. Carpal tunnel at the wrist, a slipped disc in the back or a past injury can cause symptoms in one hand or one leg.

Location is the clue. Symptoms in both feet that creep upward suggest a body-wide cause such as diabetes or low B12. Symptoms in one area, or that follow a position or repeated motion, suggest a local cause.

Local causes have their own care, from splints to surgery in some cases. That is a reason to see a clinician instead of guessing at a supplement.

Mayo Clinic says to seek medical care right away if you notice tingling, weakness or pain in your hands or feet.(Mayo Clinic, Peripheral Neuropathy (symptoms, causes)) Do not wait for it to pass.

1. Call 911: sudden weakness or numbness on one sideFace drooping, arm weakness or trouble speaking can be a stroke. Call right away; do not drive yourself.
2. Call 911: chest pain or trouble breathingThese are emergencies, not supplement questions.
3. A foot sore, blister or cut that will not healPeople with diabetes or numb feet should see a clinician soon, the same day if it looks infected.
4. Weakness that spreads, or trouble walkingWeakness that climbs or numbness that spreads fast needs prompt care.
5. Tingling that wakes you up every night or keeps getting worseSee a doctor. Blood tests for sugar, B12 and thyroid are usually the start.
6. Hives, swelling of the face or wheezing after a capsuleA possible allergy. Stop and get help; call 911 if breathing is hard.

Stroke signs: (CDC, Stroke Signs and Symptoms). Neuropathy basics: (NINDS, Peripheral Neuropathy). This list is not complete, and a supplement is never a reason to wait.

Call 911 for sudden weakness or numbness on one side, a drooping face or trouble speaking. Those can be signs of stroke.(CDC, Stroke Signs and Symptoms)