Okuzeka
Medicine vocabulary · Symptoms and Signs

Numbness

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˈnʌmnəs/nounCommon term

In medicine, numbness means: Loss or reduction of feeling in part of the body, so that touch, pain or temperature cannot be felt normally.

In Turkish: uyuşma, hissizlik

How it is used

Often reported together with tingling ('pins and needles'). Doctors ask where it is, whether it follows one nerve or a 'glove and stocking' pattern, and whether there is weakness. Sudden numbness of one side of the face or body is a warning sign of stroke.

Example sentences

  1. She describes numbness in her thumb and first two fingers, worse at night.

  2. Any numbness or weakness in your arms or legs?

Common collocations

  • numbness and tingling
  • facial numbness
  • numbness in the hands
  • sudden numbness
  • strokeSudden damage to part of the brain caused by a blocked blood vessel or by bleeding, which can cause weakness, speech problems or loss of vision.
  • red flagA symptom or sign that suggests a serious cause, such as cancer or a spinal problem, and needs urgent attention or tests.
  • symptomSomething a patient feels and reports, such as pain, tiredness or nausea, that may show they have an illness. Doctors learn about it by asking, not by measuring.
  • diabetesA long-term disease in which the body cannot control blood sugar properly, because it makes too little insulin or cannot use it well.

More terms: Symptoms and Signs

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.