North Carolina EMT State Practice Exam

What sensation might a patient with paresthesia experience?

1. Numbness

2. Difficulty breathing

3. Coughing

4. Black stools

The correct answer is: Numbness

Paresthesia refers to abnormal sensations in the body that can include feelings such as tingling, prickling, burning, or a feeling akin to 'pins and needles.' One of the most commonly associated sensations with paresthesia is numbness, which can occur as a result of nerve damage, compression, or other neurological conditions. This sensation can affect various parts of the body and is often described by patients as a loss of normal feeling in the affected area. The other sensations listed, such as difficulty breathing, coughing, and black stools, do not typically relate to paresthesia. Difficulty breathing is associated with respiratory conditions; coughing is a reflex action often related to irritants in the airways; and black stools can indicate gastrointestinal bleeding. These conditions involve different physiological processes and do not pertain to the nerve sensations characteristic of paresthesia. Thus, the symptom of numbness is the most accurate representation of what a patient experiencing paresthesia might feel.