Touch Sensitivity

What Causes Increased Sensitivity To Touch?

Increased sensitivity to touch can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'critical'.  Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

Diagnose your symptoms now!
  • understand what's happening to your body
  • learn what you should be doing right now
  • identify any nutritional deficiencies

Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms.  In order to diagnose increased sensitivity to touch, we could:

  • Research the topic
  • Find a doctor with the time
  • Use a diagnostic computer system.
The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "increased sensitivity to touch" as a symptom.  Here are three possibilities:
  • Neuritis/Neuropathy
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Guillain-Barre Syndrome

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:
candidiasis
frequent unexplained fevers
frequent swollen inguinal nodes
painful axillary nodes
having had a few sexual partners
loss of appetite
inability to tell hot from cold
painful inguinal nodes
current atypical headaches
much reduced sense of taste
moderate unexplained weight loss
low lymphocyte count
... and more than 30 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of increased sensitivity to touch:
Cause Probability Status
Guillain-Barre Syndrome 95% Confirm
Neuritis/Neuropathy 27% Unlikely
HIV/AIDS 3% Ruled out
* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate unusual skin sensations, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:
Do you suffer from tenderness to touch that is made worse by (for example) bedsheets, socks or tight-fitting shoes? This increased sensitivity to pain is known as Hyperalgesia.
Possible responses:
→ Don't know
→ No
→ Yes, somewhat
→ Yes, I have extreme sensitivity to touch
Based on your response to this question, which may indicate no increased sensitivity to touch, increased sensitivity to touch or extreme sensitivity to touch, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:
Guillain-Barre Syndrome

In some cases, pain may be so severe so as to limit walking.  Patients with symptoms limited to the feet and ankles may observe similar symptoms in the fingertips; as the symptoms extend to the knees, they may also extend to the wrists.  Only rarely do these symptoms extend above the knees.

Concerned or curious about your health?  Try The Analyst™
Symptom Entry
Symptom Entry
Diagnosis
Diagnosis
Suggestions
Suggestions
LifeMeter
LifeMeter®
Full Explanations
Explanations
Optional Doctor Review
Review (optional)
We use cookies for traffic analysis, advertising, and to provide the best user experience