What is the cause of numbness in hands?

Numbness in the hands is a common phenomenon. Generally, it is caused by compression of the nerves in the arms. For example, lifting heavy objects for a long time, keeping the arms in one position for a long time, etc., can cause numbness in the hands. You don't need to worry too much about it. Just let your arms rest and rub them. However, if the numbness in the hands is caused by a disease, you need to pay attention. Some people will have numbness in their hands when they are fine. This is a hint of a certain disease in the body. Everyone must treat it correctly and in time.

Generally, older people should pay special attention to the occurrence of numbness in the hands. In severe cases, they don’t even have the strength to hold things due to the numbness, and they can’t even pick up chopsticks to eat. If this happens, you must seek medical attention in time to find the cause to prevent the occurrence of more serious diseases. Here we will introduce the various causes of numbness in the hands. I hope that today’s introduction can make everyone pay enough attention.

Main causes

Upper limb nerve compression

One is numbness and pain in the thumb, index and middle fingers, often with a history of waking up from numbness at night, which improves after waking up and moving around. In severe cases, there may be atrophy of the hand muscles, affecting the fine movements of the hand. This is because the median nerve is compressed in the wrist, the so-called "carpal tunnel syndrome"; the second is numbness and pain in the ring and little fingers, and there may also be a history of waking up from numbness at night. In severe cases, there is muscle atrophy and decreased flexion strength of the ring and little fingers, affecting fine movement. This is because the nerve becomes pinched at the elbow, a condition known as "cubital tunnel syndrome."

Cervical Spondylosis

The most common disease causing numbness in the hands is cervical spondylosis, which is one of the common diseases among middle-aged and elderly people. When people enter middle age, some organs tend to undergo degenerative changes. When the cervical intervertebral disc degenerates, it often leads to cervical disc herniation or hyperplasia or hypertrophy of the articular processes. Once these protruding cervical discs or hyperplastic articular processes compress the adjacent cervical nerve roots, cervical spondylosis occurs. In addition to numbness and abnormal sensation in the fingers, cervical spondylosis is also accompanied by other symptoms, such as: soreness in the bones and muscles of the neck and shoulders, radiating pain in the upper limbs or movement disorders. It is not difficult to diagnose cervical spondylosis, all you need is an X-ray. There is also a simple method to check cervical spondylosis. One person supports the patient's head on the side, holds the patient's upper limb with one hand, abducts it 90°, and pushes and pulls in opposite directions with both hands at the same time. Those who experience radiating pain or numbness can be preliminarily diagnosed with cervical spondylosis.

Stroke

Another common disease that causes numbness in the hands is stroke. The book "Health Treasure Book: Stroke" once said: "Anyone who initially feels numbness or loss of function of the thumb or index finger will suffer a stroke within three years." It is necessary to prevent it: be careful in your daily life, eat in moderation, stay away from sex, and be emotionally relaxed. Although finger numbness does not necessarily lead to a stroke, middle-aged people over the age of 40 should pay more attention and be alert to the occurrence of stroke if they often experience symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, heavy head and light feet, limb numbness, and tongue swelling, and if they also have high blood pressure, high blood lipids, diabetes, cerebral arteriosclerosis and other diseases.

Menopausal syndrome

Women who enter menopause sometimes experience numbness in their hands, but it is not obvious. With the end of menopause, the numbness will disappear.

In short, to confirm the symptoms of numbness in the hands, it is necessary to refer to auxiliary examinations such as cervical spine films and electromyography to make a clear conclusion. Once diagnosed, if the symptoms are still mild, they can be improved to varying degrees through regular non-surgical treatment. If the symptoms are obvious and there is obvious atrophy of the intrinsic muscles of the hand, surgical treatment should be taken in time to stop the progression of the disease, so as to avoid irreversible severe atrophy of the intrinsic muscles of the hand, leading to serious functional disorders of the hand.

The reasons for numbness in the hands and feet are: 1. People with diabetes will experience numbness in the hands and feet, which is mainly caused by vascular diseases. 2. Numbness is caused by drugs or chemical agents. 3. Numbness is caused by neuritis. 4. Numbness occurs scattered in the four limbs. Local nerves are stimulated, such as a stroke after drunkenness, coma causing stimulation of the head nerves, upper limb numbness caused by cervical spondylosis, leg numbness caused by stimulation of the lumbar shoulder nerves, etc. 5. Numbness is caused by compression of the nerves by tumors, etc. 6. Ion disorders, acid-base imbalance, endocrine disorders, psychological factors, etc.

We all know the reasons for numbness in the hands. If the numbness in the hands is caused by a certain disease, you can perform appropriate massage, physical therapy and other related auxiliary treatments in daily life, which can improve local blood circulation. In addition, pay more attention to increasing nutrition in your diet, which can help you recover from the disease as soon as possible.