How strange, I still have two arms

[flexagon]

I woke up in the night last night and my left arm was completely numb from the elbow down... yep, it's always fun to hit yourself in the face with something rubbery in the dark and then realize the something is your own hand. :b

I apparently slept through the pins and needles, because I woke up again and all is well. Is anyone biologically savvy enough to know how a limb can lose enough circulation that the nerve cells stop functioning, yet recover completely once blood flow resumes? How are the cells staying alive? Is there microscopic damage that I just can't feel? I have this irrational conviction that my arm should have shrivelled and fallen off by now--though obviously I'm glad it didn't.

Comments

[webrat.livejournal.com]

I haven't had that happen to me for awhile, but yeah I have experienced it. It is strange, especially when you're like.. "Ok, wake up now mr. limb.. wakey wakey.. " *cringe* "Ouch.. that freakin' hurts/tingles."

[artana.livejournal.com]

I don't know how, but it happens to me often. I have a heart rate on the low end of normal, so at night when my heartrate slows even more, I lose circulation to any limb that is elevated above a certain point.

[flexagon]

Ah. I lose circulation most often because I have a limb bent underneath me. Then the limb flops free when I roll over.

[hiddenbear.livejournal.com]

happens to me a ton. i'm pretty sure that after you fall back asleep little nanobots go about fixing all the cells that died through oxygen starvation. at least, that's the only plausible answer i've come up with.

[miyyu.livejournal.com]

You have nanobots? Where can I get some?!

[zgirl611.livejournal.com]

Be so glad you'll never be pregnant. I had that happen EVERY NIGHT for about 5 months when I was. It still happens every so often, but it's not as alarming. I have to confess that at first I thought I was having a heart attack.

Sorry, late to this, catching up on LJ

[bluechromis.livejournal.com]

A limb falling asleep is one of two things, usually for limbs it's an artery getting pinched in the joint, or lesser vessels getting pinched from pressure. It can also be nerves themselves being compressed. A compromised nerve cell can survive for several hours in a low-energy state using low levels of oxygen - the mitochondria slow down all of their processes and the neurons stop firing regularly. Your body interprets this lack of signal as a bad thing, and fires off various alarms...so you change position and gradually regain normal function, with the accompanying session of pins and needles.

If, however, someone is unconscious or unable to respond to their brain's signal to move, permanent cell damage can occur. In cases of extended or extreme oxygen deprivation, the mitochondria can't produce enough energy to safeguard the active ion gates which nerves use to fire - ions pour into the cell, disrupting homeostatis, which causes water to rush into the cell through osmosis, until the internal pressure results in cell membrane breakdown, and cell death.

There are other things that go on, but that's the big one.

So no, in your case there probably isn't microscopic damage that's irreversible, rest easy. :)

Re: Sorry, late to this, catching up on LJ

[flexagon]

Squeee! You are very cool. Thanks for the info. :)