Normal anxiety symptom or something I should worry about?

[Dimdim101]

I was just sitting down and out of nowhere just now the right side of my face started experiencing a pins and needles sensation - it kind of spread across the right side of my face, from my cheek, across my forehead, right ear and back of my scalp. It's kind of like if you're cold when you get shivers and it goes kind of throughout your whole body, including your head, but it was just only the right side of my head and nowhere else in my body. Since it first happened (maybe 30 mins ago) it's happened a couple more times and I'm freaking out a bit as I don't remember experiencing this before. The skin in that side of my face also feels a bit tight now. Is this normal!? I'm worrying it's something like a stroke, as when it started I was just sitting down and not even anxious...

---------- Post added at 08:01 ---------- Previous post was at 07:37 ----------

I know the stroke fear is pretty over the top - the only reason I really have it is because:
1. It was happening on only one side of my face
2. I know I am at a heightened (EVEN THOUGH EXTREMELY SLIGHT) risk of stroke due to being a female who gets migraine auras

Although I'm only 22. I just need to learn to have these feelings and laugh them off but it's so hard

[RadioGaGa]

Dimdim101

So I'm taking from your post that you had loss of senstion/tingling that covered the right side of your face spreading to the back of the head?

It could be nothing, it could be a silent migraine or many other things.

It would be very irresponsible for anyone on here to suggest this is completely normal. Follow up with your doctor asap and keep us posted.

Good luck

[WorryRaptor]

I suffer from migraine and have experienced something similar. I do think its always a good idea to follow up with your gp for anything that feels like a stroke.
It could be anything, likely benign like a silent migraine, pinched nerve from the way you were sitting or an irritation on the nerves of your scalp/face etc. It CAN come from anxiety but its something that needs to be investigated by your gp first.

Get checked out and let us know how everything goes

[Dimdim101]

I suffer from migraine auras too but usually always get visual disturbances eg a blind spot and zig zags before any tingling. I think the best way to describe it is if you are cold and you feel shivers/pins and needles feeling go throughout your body, except it was only around the right side of my face/scalp. I think it’s clear it wasn’t a stroke because I had no other issues and I know stroke symptoms come on suddenly but this was a slow spreading over a few seconds that happened maybe every 10 mins for half an hour. I was just wondering if anyone has experienced anything similar from anxiety

[jray23]

I'm allegedly dealing with daily "silent" vestibular migraine (balance), and many times I've felt kind of a quasi-numb tingly feeling: cheek, lip, around ear and to the back. Occasionally both sides but usually just my left. Idk that I'd describe it as like being cold though. I suspect the associated increase of anxiety I get plays a role.

Just saying this as yours could very well be migraine related, especially since you say you do get them. As said though, if it's new and you're concerned it doesn't hurt to see a dr.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

[Dimdim101]

Yeah, any time I've had migraine related stuff it spreads a lot more slowly, over a couple of minutes throughout the face or body, whereas this comes as quickly as it goes - it's literally like a goosebumps sensation, but instead of spreading throughout my leg or arm, its spreading across my cheek, ear, forehead and then scalp over about 5 seconds, then it's gone (and it may happen a few more times over the next half hour but then nothing else)

[Dimdim101]

Just read that some people experience this before a partial seizure so starting to panic again...when it happened to me I had no other symptoms though, no phantom smells or deja vu or anything like that...but sometimes if I'm anxious and alone in a public place I'll get a weird overwhelming urge to cry or scream briefly!? Could this be part of seizures or just anxiety?

---------- Post added at 07:09 ---------- Previous post was at 07:07 ----------

That's actually an OCD fear of mine...being in public and embarrassing myself. So when I'm on a quiet, crowded bus or in an exam, I guess that's why the feelings sometimes happen, almost as if my brain is daring me to think, 'oh no what if I suddenly start screaming or crying loudly,' and I get a strong feeling in my chest like it's about to happen (but it never does thankfully!) - so is that epilepsy or just anxiety?

[WorryRaptor]

Yeah, any time I've had migraine related stuff it spreads a lot more slowly, over a couple of minutes throughout the face or body, whereas this comes as quickly as it goes - it's literally like a goosebumps sensation, but instead of spreading throughout my leg or arm, its spreading across my cheek, ear, forehead and then scalp over about 5 seconds, then it's gone (and it may happen a few more times over the next half hour but then nothing else)

Since it comes and goes so quickly with seemingly no lasting effects, it sounds a lot like nerve compression or central nervous system having a hiccup, or even anxiety.. which plays havoc with our nerves anyway! I do still think its wise to get it checked though. As somebody who suffers from migraines, cluster headaches and cervicogenic headaches, theres a bunch of nerves and blood vessels in your scalp and neck that can cause all manner of sensations and pain.
Nobody here can tell you for sure that its anxiety. That doesnt instantly mean its going to be something bad though and a doctors appointment will help put your mind at ease. I get so many sensations in my face neck and eyes that I was certain Id had mini strokes, nerve damage, partial seizures etc etc., but a lot of my issues turned out to be related to muscles spasming in my neck and irritating nerves in my scalp because of the way I was sitting. Combine that with anxiety sending lots of wrong signals to my nerves and voila a very scary range of sensations. A particularily nasty migraine made my left arm go numb and face go numb once.

Let us know how you get on at the doctors

[Dimdim101]

Since it comes and goes so quickly with seemingly no lasting effects, it sounds a lot like nerve compression or central nervous system having a hiccup, or even anxiety.. which plays havoc with our nerves anyway! I do still think its wise to get it checked though. As somebody who suffers from migraines, cluster headaches and cervicogenic headaches, theres a bunch of nerves and blood vessels in your scalp and neck that can cause all manner of sensations and pain.
Nobody here can tell you for sure that its anxiety. That doesnt instantly mean its going to be something bad though and a doctors appointment will help put your mind at ease. I get so many sensations in my face neck and eyes that I was certain Id had mini strokes, nerve damage, partial seizures etc etc., but a lot of my issues turned out to be related to muscles spasming in my neck and irritating nerves in my scalp because of the way I was sitting. Combine that with anxiety sending lots of wrong signals to my nerves and voila a very scary range of sensations. A particularily nasty migraine made my left arm go numb and face go numb once.

Let us know how you get on at the doctors

Aaah my worst migraine auras are the one's with facial and arm numbness, so scary! Well, believe it or not my parents are doctors... They've both said it sounds like nothing alarming and my sister has said she has experienced something like the facial 'goosebumps' on random occassions too, she just doesn't really pay attention to it. I think most people go through unusual sensations but don't pay them much attention and then they're not an issue, but with my health anxiety, it's every. little. thing!

[WorryRaptor]

Aaah my worst migraine auras are the one's with facial and arm numbness, so scary! Well, believe it or not my parents are doctors... They've both said it sounds like nothing alarming and my sister has said she has experienced something like the facial 'goosebumps' on random occassions too, she just doesn't really pay attention to it. I think most people go through unusual sensations but don't pay them much attention and then they're not an issue, but with my health anxiety, it's every. little. thing!

I wouldnt wish migraines on anybody! They come with so many awful sensations. People who dont get migraine tend to think theyre "just headaches". Theyre so much more, and anxiety can amplify them even further.
Glad to know your parents can give you actual qualified reassurance. If theyre not seeing any red flags then thats good.
Yep, anxiety is so so good at multiplying small sensations by 100. Youre right that people feel all kinds of strange sensations amd ignore them. Anxiety makes you hyper focused on those things that others ignore, and you want to know that others have have felt weird things and had it turn out to be ok. Problem is, non anxious people tend to instsntly forget weird sensations so theyre not even sure they experienced anything and dont even mention it. The anxious person will take this as "Im the only person who has experienced this weird symptom.. it must be serious"
I do that all the time. I pester my boyrfreind about vague sensations to see if he has ever had the same. He will shrug and say he doesnt know. Of course he doesnt, he feels things and lets them pass without a second thought. My anxious brain then assumes the thing Im feeling is sinister and about to kill me. Anxiety is exhausting!