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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Feeling Of Passing Out With Numbness In Arms?

Hello. I am not sure what had been causing me to feel like I m going to pass out and have my arms start to go numb as I m coughing. I have this cough that wont seem to go away. I am a nanny and one of the children I watch was sick and I am taking I got it from her. Is this something I should be worried about? If so I ll make an apt. Thank you for your help.
Tue, 28 Apr 2020
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hi

There are 2 possible mechanisms through which the symptoms you have mentioned may occur. One mechanism is through the activation of the vagus nerve. The other involves the heart because of the cough causing increased thoracic pressure.

Coughing may cause the ribs to compress or contract and this can cause some of the nerves to get compressed. This compression may cause numbness over the arms. Along with this, the Vagus nerve can get affected and this can cause a feeling of dizziness or nausea as well.

Coughing can also increase thoracic pressure. This increase in thoracic pressure can cause reduced blood flow to the head and to the arms. This may cause numbness of the arms and cause one to feel dizzy and almost lose consciousness as well.

The next best step is to either get a nerve conduction velocity test or a turn table test to confirm the cause. The treatment would be based on the diagnosis.
Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Take care

Regards,
Dr. Vignan Rachabattuni
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What Causes Feeling Of Passing Out With Numbness In Arms?

Hi There are 2 possible mechanisms through which the symptoms you have mentioned may occur. One mechanism is through the activation of the vagus nerve. The other involves the heart because of the cough causing increased thoracic pressure. Coughing may cause the ribs to compress or contract and this can cause some of the nerves to get compressed. This compression may cause numbness over the arms. Along with this, the Vagus nerve can get affected and this can cause a feeling of dizziness or nausea as well. Coughing can also increase thoracic pressure. This increase in thoracic pressure can cause reduced blood flow to the head and to the arms. This may cause numbness of the arms and cause one to feel dizzy and almost lose consciousness as well. The next best step is to either get a nerve conduction velocity test or a turn table test to confirm the cause. The treatment would be based on the diagnosis. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Take care Regards, Dr. Vignan Rachabattuni