What does a person suffering from paresthesia actually feel?

Numbness to the area: Paresthesia is a numb feeling to the affected area. The numbness can be profound and the person feel no sensation at all, or it may be mild such as a pins-and-needles feeling. In any event, the paresthesia is usually transitory and will go away with the passage of time. However, severe trauma may cause a permanent paresthesia. It all depends on the amount of the injury to the nerve.