Hypoesthesia is a loss or reduction of sensation that can occur anywhere in the body, often after an injury, operation, or illness like diabetes. It can also be psychological and may or may not be permanent. Those with diabetes are at high risk, and it can also occur after whiplash or amputation.
Hypoesthesia is a type of sensory dysfunction characterized by an absence or reduction of sensation. Sometimes accompanied by nerve damage, this loss of sensation can occur anywhere in the body, usually after an injury, a medical operation, or an illness such as diabetes. It is also common with people who have physical disabilities.
Hypoesthesia sufferers do not feel thermal, mechanical or electrical stimuli; moreover they are not sensitive to vibrations. More than just a physical condition, hypoesthesia can also be psychological in which the loss of sensation is partially linked to a person’s perception of feeling and pain. The condition, which is often accompanied by a loss of strength, may or may not be permanent.
For those who retain some sensation with hypoesthesia, there are different intensities of physical sensation and pain. A patient may be able to experience certain types of stimuli but be completely insensitive to other types. For example, some people who lose sensation may feel cold but not warmth.
One type of injury during which hypoesthesia can occur is whiplash. In such cases, the loss of sensation can occur immediately or manifest itself more than five to six months after the injury. Sensation is often restored during the recovery phase of the body.
Those with diabetes are at a high risk of getting hypoesthesia because diabetes is linked to peripheral nerve disorders. Some studies suggest that nearly 60% of patients who have both diabetes and hypoesthesia have the nerve disorder known as distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSP), which is characterized by numbness or tingling in the arms, hands, legs and feet. In addition to the limbs, diabetics can also develop corneal hypoesthesia, which affects the eyes. Often, sensory loss precedes actual polyneuropathy in diabetics and is seen as a warning that nerve damage is imminent.
Corneal hypoesthesia is not limited to diabetics. Others who may develop this localized loss of eye sensation include those with herpes simplex keratitis and those who have introduced toxins into the eye via chemical exposure or medications. Some patients with recent laser eye surgeries and those with droplet climatic keratopathy (CDK) may also develop the condition.
People who have had their limbs amputated often experience loss of sensation in the flesh adjacent to where the removed limb was. Those who undergo facelifts that include lifting and pulling the scalp to smooth the forehead or enhance the eyebrows may acquire hypoesthesia of the scalp. The loss of feeling associated with a facelift is usually temporary and only affects the areas immediately around or behind the surgical incisions.
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