Why Might I Experience Numbness in the Right Upper Quadrant of My Abdomen?

Sometimes, a nerve that gives feeling to your right upper abdomen does not work as well as it should. One reason can be a nerve problem caused by diabetes, where high blood sugar slowly harms nerves. Another possibility is that a nerve coming from your spine is being pressed upon or pinched. When a nerve is squeezed, it may not send the right signals to your brain, and this can cause numbness in the area it supplies. In some cases, a problem in another spot in your body, e.g. a small abnormal blood vessel such as pseudoaneurysm, might cause what we call "referred pain." This means that even though the issue starts somewhere else, you feel it in your abdomen. Other medical conditions can also press on nerves coming from the spinal cord, leading to changes in how your skin feels. It is important to discuss these symptoms with a doctor so they can check your nerves and overall health and help find the real cause of the numbness.