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What Causes Headaches,paresthesia And Pain?

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Posted on Tue, 29 Apr 2014
Question: Hello, I am a female turning 23 on April 12. I am having issues with headaches, paresthesia and pain. I suspect it is the wisdom tooth but all the doctors say it does not cause anything besides tooth pain and pressure. The first time I went to the ER was March 20, 2014. I woke up suddenly with fast heartbeat and numbness at back of head and neck. The fast heartbeat lasted for a few hours but the numbness was ongoing with headaches and pressure all around my head and jaw. I went to the ER that afternoon and everything turned out normal. They told me it was just paresthesia and gave me Motrin for the pain. I took the Motrin for a few days and it only helped with the pain and helping me sleep, the numbness was less but still there. I decided to see a dentist on March 27 and had a lot of xrays done but was told the only thing related to the wisdom tooth is the pressure on the teeth. The xray showed that half of my lower right wisdom tooth is erupted from the gum, the left one is also out but under the gum and the upper two are still inside. The dentist cleaned my right wisdom tooth for temporary relief. I was told that I should remove my wisdom teeth but that it wasn't an emergency. When I got out of the office the numbness traveled to my lower back. I scheduled a cleaning for April 3. The numbness went away two days before that so I thought everything was resolved. When I went in for the cleaning, the right side of my mouth was cleaned and I had two fillings put in two of the upper molars. There was a bit of pain but everything was fine and I went home. The next morning I woke up feeling weak, nauseous and my vision blacked out for a few seconds. I felt sick the whole day and felt like I will black out again. I had headaches all day with tooth pain and couldn't sleep or eat. Eventually I felt my right side go numb from my head to neck and arm the morning after. I went to the emergency room that day and after many tests including brain MRI, nothing was found and I was sent home. I had a burning pain at the back of my head, neck and shoulders and felt my neck, jaw and lower back of my head were heavy and swollen. The numbness spread through all my body and I began to have shock pains slowly traveling in random places. My neck felt swollen and heavy and whole body including my face felt numb. The right side of my body was more numb than the left. I called my dentist and explained everything but was told it wasn't tooth related. I couldn't eat or sleep without feeling sick so I waited until the next morning. I went to the ER again and was there for 12 hours while they looked at my previous tests and did a neck MRI. I was later seen by a neurologist that day and had tests done but still nothing. They still said it was paresthesia and that everything is normal so they don't know why it's happening. I was given something to help me sleep and sent home after a long day. I still had random pains and all the symptoms continued but I was able to sleep from the medicine that night. I woke up in the morning and it felt like I was getting better, I only started to have a lot of pressure on my teeth and the numbness was less. Throughout the day, everything started to come back but felt worse and my mouth felt more numb with my neck and throat. There was an odd taste in my mouth and it felt like something was on my chest but I was breathing normally. I haven't been able to eat much all day and I kept waking up from sleep. When I lay down or sit for a while it feels like I have no feeling but when I move I can move normally. Right now I'm having more pressure in my jaw, numbness around the face, head and neck. I feel like my face is a bit swollen as well as my throat. I am waiting to call an oral surgeon to have my teeth removed but I am not sure if they are the problem. One of my family members who is a doctor has told me that they and other doctors they talked to all said it could be due to migraines and wisdom tooth. My mother and aunt have told me the same and that they had the same thing happen to them except it did not make their whole body go numb. I know this is a long question but I just want to make sure everything is known. Is it possible that wisdom teeth are causing this? It seems like the only explanation since all the tests were normal. I haven't been able to do anything and I just want to know what is causing this. I would appreciate your input on this. Thanks.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Anshumala Singh (49 minutes later)
Brief Answer: Refered to neurosurgeon Detailed Answer: Hello and welcome. Thanks for sharing your concern. Although the history was a bit long but I have patiently tried to understand the problem after going through the history completely. As far as, my clinical knowledge is concerned,I would say that all the dentist had given you correct guidance, by telling that impacted wisdom teeth are not the cause of such symptoms that you have mentioned in the history. Therefore please be sure that impacted teeth cannot cause such symptoms.Wisdom teeth removal is a better option to avoid further recurrent infections.So you can decide and get them extracted as per your convenience.There is no emergency with that,until there is an infection. You have mentioned that you have met neurologist,but in my view you should meet again with the present symptoms of paresthesia.It appears to be a neurological problem and not a dental problem. Therefore I would say please meet your neurosurgeon and not an oral surgeon and discuss in detail these symptoms so that exact cause can be detected. Please remember it is not related to your wisdom teeth or any other dental cause,also it requires attention at this early age. I am sure neurosurgeon will deeply analyze your case and problem will be solved. Hope it helps.Wish you good health. Please let me know further doubts. Thanks. Take care.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
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Follow up: Dr. Anshumala Singh (15 hours later)
Hi, thanks for your reply. The reason I am concerned with the dental issue is because a numbing gel was used several times on my gums for the cleaning and filling. I am not sure what the gel was but I swallowed some of it and am wondering if it could have possible side effects. It seems odd that my symptoms appeared the morning after my dentist visit. Please let me know your opinion. Thanks.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Anshumala Singh (3 hours later)
Brief Answer: Referred to neurosurgeon Detailed Answer: Hello and welcome. Thanks for reply. The numbing gel that you are taking about is called as lignocaine gel which is applied on mucosa to numb the surrounding areas. This gel even if consumed in small amounts can do no harm as it gets metabolized in the liver and its by products are excreted through our excretory system. Therefore lignocaine cannot cause prolonged paresthesia. It is the nerves in your brain and spinal cord which has potential to cause symptoms of paresthesia. Appearance of symptoms post dental treatment could be a coincidence.Therefore please be 100% sure that it has no dental origin. There fore I had suggested you to consult neurosurgeon with the present symptoms. Hope it helps. Please let me know for further help. Thanks. Take care.
Note: Find out which dental treatment will work best for your teeth. Ask here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E
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Answered by
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Dr. Anshumala Singh

Dentist

Practicing since :2007

Answered : 1010 Questions

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What Causes Headaches,paresthesia And Pain?

Brief Answer: Refered to neurosurgeon Detailed Answer: Hello and welcome. Thanks for sharing your concern. Although the history was a bit long but I have patiently tried to understand the problem after going through the history completely. As far as, my clinical knowledge is concerned,I would say that all the dentist had given you correct guidance, by telling that impacted wisdom teeth are not the cause of such symptoms that you have mentioned in the history. Therefore please be sure that impacted teeth cannot cause such symptoms.Wisdom teeth removal is a better option to avoid further recurrent infections.So you can decide and get them extracted as per your convenience.There is no emergency with that,until there is an infection. You have mentioned that you have met neurologist,but in my view you should meet again with the present symptoms of paresthesia.It appears to be a neurological problem and not a dental problem. Therefore I would say please meet your neurosurgeon and not an oral surgeon and discuss in detail these symptoms so that exact cause can be detected. Please remember it is not related to your wisdom teeth or any other dental cause,also it requires attention at this early age. I am sure neurosurgeon will deeply analyze your case and problem will be solved. Hope it helps.Wish you good health. Please let me know further doubts. Thanks. Take care.