Help! The side of my face is slightly numb

[ChippyDucks150]

Last night, the inside of my mouth on the left hand side went slightly numb. Not totally, like when you get an injection from the dentist, I could still feel. It started moving along, towards my jaw and then about an hour or two later it had migrated up to my eye socket. Nothing awful, to warrant a 999call, bit still slightly worrying. Facially I look fine, speech and eyesight isn't affected, can raise both hands etc so not a stroke.
This morning it's ever so slightly still there. The far left side of my face almost feels a little cold, like when the dentist injection is just about worn off.
I'll call the GP in the morning, but any advice? Or any idea what could be causing it?

I had something similar in my face and it turned out to be shingles. It took about 3 visits to the doctor's to get it diagnosed correctly. Shingles tends to only effect one side of the body too, and if it is shingles you need to start the antiviral medication as soon as possible. My eye ended up being permanently damaged. I'm not saying that to scare you. But shingles can be really serious, so it's important to get it correctly diagnosed as soon as possible. Things to look out for are a red blotchy rash going down to the tip of the nose and a feeling of having grit or and eyelash in one of your eyes. And a tingly feeling similar to when your getting a cold sore.

Hi, OP here. Well, the numbness has never completely gone away...I would say its present about 65% of the time, even if only a tiny bit of my face. I've had in depth eye tests and a brain MRI which came back completely normal. The consultant actually repeated those words in my letter to reiterate them . However I'm still bamboozled. I have a docs appt next week for a follow up,.but what else could possibly be causing it???

I've also had blood tests which came back normal and clear.

I had a weird intermittent tingle on my face/jaw for several months a few years ago. Like you I had an mri etc to look for possible issues. In the end I had a wisdom tooth removed and haven’t experienced it since. It was several times a day before then so must have been irritating a nerve or something.

I had some funny things going on with my face that sound similar.
Weird tingling, feelings of numbness that came and went. No pain.
Similarly had TIA etc ruled out and the consultant said that he thought it was atypical migraines- I was quite stressed at the time.
Happens very occasionally still.

Hmm..I have got a cracked back tooth that I am waiting to be fixed...but it's on the opposite side of my face. I am stressed though, and clench my teeth in my sleep (causing the cracked tooth).
I think I had convinced myself that something awful was wrong with me and now I'm just left puzzled.

I’ve had this for the last 12 years.
Thoroughly investigated - autoimmune hypothyroidism was found by accident but explained why I’d been feeling so awful since having dc2.
The face thing has been called an unexplained mononeuropathy of the facial branch of the trigeminal nerve.
It’s odd, and caused problems getting life insurance but apart from that it’s just how I am now!

Have you had your vaccine recently? Bell's Palsy is a stated side effect, presumably milder versions also occur.

Is it your lower face close to your jaw? It could be neck related? I have really bad posture and get slight numbing around my jaw from that, a very noisy bone clicking visit to the chiropractor sorts it out

I was about to ask are you on prednisone.

It started before my first vaccine. I'm not on prednisolone, but varies from my lower jaw right up to my eye socket and sometimes the side of my nose. I did hurt my neck late last year when it kind of 'stuck' when I had been drying my hair and looking up to chat and I struggled to move it back. Was v painful.

I regularly take naproxen and co-codamol/ tramadol sometimes

I get a numb face/scalp. Some times pins and needles. Had MRI, under care of neurologist for a period. I was really scared. Thought it was something terrible. Turns out A- typical migraine.

Got divorced. Hardly happens now. For me stress was a factor.

Hemiplegia migraine. Have a look on migraine trust website. Description on there.

I had a weird creeping, dragging sensations l under my skins on the left side of my face, tingling down my left arm down into my calf muscle. Really frightening the first time. After loads of tests the only conclusion was hormone related migraine. It went on to happen regularly but has settled now I have gone through the menopause.

I get it from clenching my teeth in my sleep. I get numbness along my jaw, across my eye socket and on my nose/sinuses on the same side.
My doctor recommended getting a bite guard from the dentist which I haven't done as of yet.

Bels palsey or something aline those lines. I was recently in hospital for almost a week with bels palsey while they ruled out something more sinister. I was prescribed amitriptyline to calm my nerves down. I have taken it before for suspected neuralgia. There is something funky going on with my nerves in my head.

Now if suck my mouth into a pout for a few seconds it freezes there for a few seconds. Some nerve damage somewhere

If it were me I would see the GP soon to get an initial diagnosis/get bloods to check for any viral infections/antigens if an autoimmune issue, check through any other present symptoms and if still no clarity get a referral to a leading Neurologist to identify the nerves in question and Paul Jarman would be the man I'd see.

I had similar many years ago. Saw a neurologist- blood/ eye tests and lumbar puncture. It was a post viral thing. Faded over the years but very occasionally still get it especially when stressed.

Osteopath to check your neck, might be a pinched nerve high up...c2 maybe. Stress another possible thing like PP said

I had a drooping face last year. My right hand side of my face went numb, dropped snd couldn’t smile. Went to a and e, rude receptionist sent me away. I didn’t feel right and was scared I had a stroke. But she said I looked ok and was prob dental? Now I wish I’d demanded to see a doctor at the time. That was on the Saturday. It was back to normal in 2 weeks. I think it was bels palsy. But not waiting to see a neurologist as i think I have damaged nerves

It seems to be more common than I thought, but I'm at a loss as to how to determine the cause. I've been fitted for a gumshield to stop the clenching, so I'll see if that will hopefully help.

Hi ChippyDucks150. How's the face? I have similar on and off with occasional pins and needles in fingers. I just wondered if you (or anyone else) ever gir an answer? I often wonder if I am imagining my cheek as I don't notice it when distracted 🤔 x

You will probably be clenching during the day and it can cause problems with the muscles being so tight. Your teeth should generally not be touching. The resting position is not with your teeth closed together. This may be self-evident to some people but if you are making an effort to not clench then get those teeth apart. There are apps that you can install and which beep at regular intervals to remind you not to clench. I wear a tooth splint at night - it's important to get the fit right so it clicks into place - I have to wrestle mine out in the morning.