Why am I getting pins and needles sensation in face?

Question

Hi doctor,

A month ago, when I woke up in the morning, I felt pins and needles above my eyebrows and nose. I had an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and no tumors were detected. I think the nerve may have been attacked by a virus. It cleared up completely within six weeks, except the nose and it still tingles at bridge when I touch it. If I touch it two times in a row, then it only tingles for the first touch. Is it due to nerve damage? Is this a sensory issue? Should I be concerned?

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com. As you rightly observed, the abnormal sensations could have been because of viral effect on the nerve. It is the ophthalmic division of the fifth cranial nerve (eye division of trigeminal nerve), which supplies the face above the tip of the nose. The virus may be one of the Zoster group, which are known to remain dormant within the nervous tissue and flare up when person's general health becomes little weaker than before. As in your case, in young and otherwise healthy individual, it is self-limiting. But, during the active infection, it would have affected the nerve partially and that is the reason for your symptoms. No need to worry and it would improve over time. It is not a permanent damage. I suggest vitamin B12 supplement for four weeks or so as it would help your nerves to heal. Consult your specialist doctor, discuss with him or her and take the medicine with consent. I would recommend you to maintain your general health very well. Avoid excessive dieting and excessive stress to prevent further viral infections.