INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Whether it’s pins and needles or a feeling of numbness and tingling when you go from sitting to standing, we’ve all felt it before. Our foot’s asleep.
It’s what’s called paresthesia and usually happens when a person sits in one position for a long time with one foot under one leg while the legs are crossed. This position cuts off the connection between nerves in the brain that travel to the feet. Blood flow is also cut off and oxygen isn’t able to get to the tissues in the lower limb.
Typically, a sleepy foot is harmless and disappears within minutes. To wake it up, doctors recommend changing positions and avoid sitting for long periods. But there are cases when something else might be going on, especially if the sensation persists to the point where it’s difficult to walk.
Below is a list of medical causes of sleepy feet:
- Diabetes
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Certain cancers including lung and leukemia
- Stroke
- Medications including antibiotics and chemotherapy drugs
- Infection
- Pinched nerves or compression or trauma to the nerves
For more from Dr. Mary Gillis D.Ed., you can follow her on Facebook.
As parents, we want to be seen as invincible and the number one go-to-source for our kids. Part of that means pressure to maintain the illusion of perfection. But it’s just not true. We all have a past. We’re not perfect. So, what happens when our kids start asking questions? How and when do we tell them we’ve made mistakes?
News 8’s medical reporter, Dr. Mary Gillis, D.Ed., was on Indy Style Wednesday to discuss an interview she had will best-selling author, educator and mom-extraordinaire, Deborah Ann Davis. Davis provides tips and tricks to help guide parents through these difficult–sometimes awkward–conversations.
Watch the full interview with Davis below:
To learn more about Davis’s work, click here.
To follow Dr. Mary Gillis, D.Ed. on Facebook, click here.
News 8’s medical reporter, Dr. Mary Gillis, talks about how we can use trauma as a fuel to thrive. She spoke with Dr. Randall Bell, author of a new book: Post-Traumatic Thriving: The Art, Science & Stories Behind Resilience.
Known as the ‘Master of Disaster’ Dr. Bell has consulted in more tragedies around the world than anyone including the World Trade Center, Sandy Hook and Hurricane Katrina to name a few. In his book, Bell lets readers in on 5 key patterns he sees in people who’ve overcome trauma and thrived as a result of it.
Find more medical news, at Wishtv.com/medical and Facebook.com/DrMaryGillis.
Heart disease is the number one killer in the country and is the leading cause of death in Indiana.
On Wednesday’s “IndyStyle,” News 8’s medical reporter, Dr. Mary Gillis, D.Ed., discussed how to prevent heart disease, what it means to ‘know your numbers’ as well as the differences in signs and symptoms of a heart attack between men and women.
For more information, follow her on Facebook.