paraesthesia: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Technical, Medical
Quick answer
What does “paraesthesia” mean?
An abnormal sensation, typically tingling, prickling, or numbness, often described as 'pins and needles'.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An abnormal sensation, typically tingling, prickling, or numbness, often described as 'pins and needles'.
In medical and neurological contexts, it refers to any spontaneous, abnormal sensation without an apparent physical stimulus. In broader usage, can metaphorically describe a heightened or unusual sensory awareness.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The British English spelling is 'paraesthesia'. The American English spelling is typically 'paresthesia'. Both refer to the same medical phenomenon.
Connotations
Identical technical/medical connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Extremely rare in everyday conversation in both varieties. Used almost exclusively in medical, neurological, and scientific contexts. The American spelling 'paresthesia' is more common globally due to the influence of US medical literature.
Grammar
How to Use “paraesthesia” in a Sentence
Patient + experience/have + paraesthesia + in + body partCondition/Medication + cause + paraesthesiaParaesthesia + be + adjective (e.g., transient, bilateral)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “paraesthesia” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The limb began to paraesthetise.
- Patients may report paraesthetising sensations.
American English
- The limb began to paresthesize.
- Patients may report paresthesizing sensations.
adverb
British English
- [Extremely rare. Not standard usage.]
American English
- [Extremely rare. Not standard usage.]
adjective
British English
- She described a paraesthetic feeling in her fingertips.
- The paraesthetic symptoms were documented.
American English
- She described a paresthetic feeling in her fingertips.
- The paresthetic symptoms were documented.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in medical, nursing, neuroscience, and psychology papers and textbooks.
Everyday
Extremely rare. The lay term 'pins and needles' or 'my foot's asleep' is used instead.
Technical
Standard term in clinical notes, patient histories, neurology, pharmacology (as a side effect), and physiotherapy.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “paraesthesia”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “paraesthesia”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “paraesthesia”
- Misspelling: 'peresthesia', 'parasthesia'.
- Confusing it with 'anaesthesia' (loss of sensation) or 'hyperaesthesia' (increased sensitivity).
- Using it as a verb (e.g., 'I paraesthesia in my arm').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Typically not. Paraesthesia refers to abnormal non-painful sensations like tingling or numbness. The painful equivalent is often called 'dysaesthesia'.
Temporary paraesthesia is most commonly caused by pressure on a peripheral nerve, such as when a limb 'falls asleep'.
You should seek medical advice if paraesthesia is sudden, severe, persistent, recurrent, or associated with weakness, dizziness, or speech problems.
Numbness is a specific type of paraesthesia characterized by a loss of sensation. Paraesthesia is the broader category that includes numbness, tingling, prickling, and 'pins and needles'.
An abnormal sensation, typically tingling, prickling, or numbness, often described as 'pins and needles'.
Paraesthesia is usually formal, technical, medical in register.
Paraesthesia: in British English it is pronounced /ˌpær.ɪsˈθiː.zi.ə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌper.əsˈθiː.ʒə/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms. The phrase 'pins and needles' is the everyday equivalent idiom.]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Paraesthesia = PARA (abnormal) + AESTHESIA (sensation). Think of an 'aesthetic' feeling that is 'para' (beside/abnormal) the normal one.
Conceptual Metaphor
SENSATION IS ELECTRICITY/TEXTURE (e.g., 'buzzing', 'tingling', 'prickling', 'cotton wool').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the BEST definition of 'paraesthesia'?