What happens when your hands become numb?
Hand numbness is associated with loss of sensation in one or both limbs. It covers the entire hand, moving onto the tissues of the hands and fingers. Numbness should not be confused with paralysis, which results in the arm not moving. In a paralyzed person, sensation may be lost or partially preserved.
Along with numbness, the patient feels a tingling or burning sensation in the affected area. These sensations are called parasthesias. More often than not, they precede the fact that your hands feel numb at night or at the moment of waking up. Unpleasant sensations quickly pass if caused by external causes associated with a decrease in air temperature. The sudden appearance of parasthesias and their slow progression are noted.
Chronic conditions are associated with some degree of nerve damage. Therefore, the hand goes numb during sleep. And, if this process occurs every night, you need to urgently consult a doctor. Seek medical help if accompanied by numbness, confusion of consciousness, speech, or weakness in the affected arm.
Sometimes parasthesias are combined with the appearance of pain radiating to the shoulder, dizziness, and increased blood pressure.
Treatment of numbness of the extremities by specialists at our clinic
You constantly have a problem such as numbness in your hands - the treatment of this problem should not be postponed. It is a harbinger of many diseases. Learn to approach your health carefully. Qualified specialists at our clinic will diagnose the problem and prescribe all necessary preventive measures. Modern equipment and effective treatment methods are used. There are many diseases that may not manifest themselves for a long time. Numbness of the hands, the causes and treatment of which require a professional approach, will be eliminated by the doctors of our clinic by accurately identifying the source of the problem.
External reasons
It’s good if your hands go numb during sleep due to unstable air temperature in the bedroom. Once this situation is corrected, the sensations will disappear. Parasthesia may occur due to the fact that the pillow or bed is chosen incorrectly or the person suffers from bad habits.
High headboard
Getting carried away by dense pillows when your head lies high, you can get a deflection in the cervical spine. This situation leads to the fact that the roots of the nerve endings passing along the spinal cord are poorly supplied with nutrition. In the areas of the spine responsible for sensitivity and mobility of the limbs, blood flow worsens.
To get rid of cramps, replace the pillow with an orthopedic version or place a cushion under the neck. Sleep items are made taking into account the anatomical features of the head and neck. Thanks to this, blood flows evenly to all parts of the spinal column.
Body position
Your sleeping position is important so that your hands do not lose sensitivity in the morning. When a person sleeps on his side, he lies on his hand, pinching the vessels in it. The blood begins to stagnate, leaving the hand and fingers without nutrition. The heart works slowly at night, so it is unable to deliver blood to hard-to-reach areas of the body.
Loss of sensitivity is caused by throwing your arms behind your head while lying on your back. Tight pajamas, nightgowns with long sleeves, when tight seams squeeze the blood vessels in the arms, contribute to the swelling of the limbs.
Control of body position is difficult to achieve at night. But you need to accustom yourself to the correct sleeping position so that all parts of the spine are in a straight line. Sleepwear is chosen from breathable natural materials. Women are advised to remove all jewelry from their fingers and wrists to avoid squeezing blood vessels.
The median nerve may be pinched by tight cuffs
Lifestyle
Evening consumption of coffee, strong tea, and alcoholic beverages leads to the fact that a person sleeps poorly. After all, at first the vessels are dilated, but at night they sharply narrow. Hence the occurrence of headaches and intestinal disorders. Starting to toss and turn in their sleep, people take an unnatural position, which is why their hands begin to go numb.
Hands cramp if:
- work at the computer for a long time;
- lead a passive lifestyle;
- physically load the spine during training and hard work;
- Raise their hands up during professional activities throughout the entire shift (installers, painters).
The nerves in the limbs are temporarily compressed when they draw or write for a long time.
Diseases that cause numbness
Diseases that develop in people throughout life are a common cause of numb and tingling fingers. It is imperative to identify incipient pathology in order to prevent serious health problems. Paresthesia may be a signal of impending disease.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
After 40 years, women whose work involves tension in the tendons and joints of the hands feel tingling sensations in the wrist area at the end of the day. The skin in this place itches, goosebumps run across it. The syndrome occurs due to pinching and swelling of the nerve that passes through the carpal tunnel.
From there they control the movements of the palm, fingers, and their sensitivity. First, the syndrome affects the little fingers, then the entire palm. When the pathology spreads and is neglected, the death of nerve tissue occurs. Then sensitivity in the affected area is completely lost. As a result, a person becomes unable to use even a spoon or pen.
Pathological changes in the spine
As a result of orthopedic pathologies, damage and destruction of nerve tissue occurs. The causes of the conditions are related to:
- degenerative processes in the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine (spondylosis);
- hernias caused by a rupture of the outer shell of the disc;
- a pinched nerve in the arm at night;
- osteoporosis.
The consequence of the injury may be what the hands endure. Then the patient will complain not only of numbness, but also headaches and dizziness.
Vascular disorders
Poor condition of blood vessels and disturbances in their structure contribute to numbness in the hands at night. Insufficient blood flow to the extremities is associated with diseases:
- The congenital pathological connection between arteries and veins leads to the fact that the vessels are tangled into a ball. Arteriovenous malformation is the reason why areas of the upper extremities become numb.
- Thrombosis is the formation of blood clots that block passages in blood vessels. Pathology can occur as a result of acute inflammation of the arteries, veins, and poor lifestyle.
- The density of fat and cholesterol deposits on the walls of blood vessels leads to a narrowing of the peripheral arteries. Therefore, blood flow to the hands and fingers is limited.
- With frostbite and a decrease in air temperature in the room, parasthesia of the upper extremities is observed.
- In patients suffering from ischemic stroke, cerebrovascular accident, not only do their hands numb, but their consciousness becomes foggy, they become dizzy, and their blood pressure levels rise sharply.
If even one hand is numb for a long time, you need to contact a specialist. This could be a sign of a stroke or heart attack.
Neurological pathologies
Numbness of the hands at night and after sleep appears in people who are chronic alcoholics and diabetics. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus have problems with loss of sensation in their hands as the body attacks its own tissues and cells. Limbs go numb when heavy metal poisoning occurs, injuries are sustained, and spinal tumors occur.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the causes of hand numbness
The cause of malignant anemia is insufficient vitamin B12 in the body, hence the loss of sensitivity. Paresthesia that appears as a result of diseases does not go away quickly. This is worth paying attention to. Urgent help is required if sensitivity is lost for an hour and you cannot bend your fingers.
Loss of sensation in the hands of the right and left hands - the main reasons
If you feel numbness in your right hand, the treatment of which requires medical attention, then this may be the cause of a wide variety of diseases. The hand, fingers, or entire arm may become numb. This type of numbness in the right arm, which requires treatment, may occur during the day or at night. The feeling of numbness may go away within a few minutes or last for several hours. The most common causes of numbness in the right hand are impaired blood supply to the limb, prolonged exposure to an uncomfortable position, constant carrying of heavy objects, activities that require a long stay in an upright position, and hypothermia. Also, numbness of the right hand, the causes of which are easily diagnosed, can develop due to osteochondrosis, hernia of the cervical vertebrae, circulatory disorders in the brain, or prolonged neuropsychic stress. If you feel numbness in your left hand, the causes of this ailment can also be very diverse. The causes of numbness in the left hand may include all of the above-described phenomena and disturbances in the functioning of the heart. If these symptoms of hand numbness are observed systematically, then you should definitely seek professional help. Do not delay a visit to a specialist, as numbness in your hands can be a consequence of a wide variety of diseases.
In pregnant women
During the period of bearing a child, a woman’s hands often become numb at night. The pregnant woman's body is focused on ensuring that the embryo develops normally. Therefore, a pregnant woman experiences difficulties due to the restructuring of the work of all organs and systems. Her metabolic processes are disrupted. Lack of vitamins and microelements leads to cardiac dysfunction. Most women are diagnosed with anemia.
Pregnant women rarely sleep fully, especially in the last stages before childbirth. It is difficult to assume a natural sleeping position due to a large belly. The consequences of stress and nervous strain are disturbances in the functioning of peripheral arteries.
When one hand goes numb
A feature of parasthesia of the extremities is that both arms or only one may become numb. It happens that in the morning the sensitivity of several fingers is lost. When your right hand suffers at night, you need to pay attention to the sleeping position. By squeezing your hand with your body, the blood vessels are compressed, and tissue nutrition is stopped.
A leak occurs on the right side if the inflammation covers the cervical spine. After arm fractures, disturbances occur in the structure of blood vessels and tendons. This is why numbness occurs in the hands. Long-term loss of sensitivity, when the left side suffers, indicates developing or current heart disease.
Before an attack of angina pectoris, the hand and forearm become numb. You should call an ambulance if numbness begins on the entire left side of the body. This is a symptom of a stroke. An impending heart attack will be accompanied by severe pain in the heart area. Creeping and burning indicate atherosclerosis of the left brachial artery. With thrombosis, the affected area loses sensitivity, is very painful, and swells.
Who to contact
Before going to the clinic, you should rule out all external causes of numbness. To do this, create conditions for a comfortable sleep: change the pillow and mattress, buy comfortable pajamas. If unpleasant signs do not disappear, then you need to consult a therapist. Blood tests will reveal the presence of high cholesterol. An electrocardiogram will show changes in the functioning of the heart.
You'll have to visit a neurologist's office. In addition to checking sensitivity, the doctor will examine an x-ray of the spine. In some cases, it is necessary to do a computed tomography scan of the cervical spine. Only on the basis of tests and examinations can an accurate diagnosis be made and treatment prescribed.
The right hand is going numb: treatment begins with a neurologist
It is necessary to establish a diagnosis in order to correctly understand what to do. If the right hand goes numb, the doctor, based on the indications, selects a diagnostic method: radiography, MRI, CT, electroencephalogram. The first doctor a patient with these symptoms turns to is a neurologist. Then he may recommend contacting a doctor of another profile (cardiologist, endocrinologist, orthopedist, surgeon) or request their consultation in case of a mixed nature of the disease.
The strategy and tactics of drug correction are aimed at eliminating chronic pathology.
Solutions
Depending on the cause of numbness, treatment of the underlying disease is carried out. Restoration of tissue trophism and resumption of vascular function occurs with the help of physiotherapy. They act on the limbs with ultrasound, electrophoresis, and laser beams. Physical therapy will relieve tissue hypoxia in the hand.
It is necessary to perform gymnastics every day for people in professions that cause tension in the hands and fingers. In the morning, during breaks, in the evening:
- clench and unclench fingers;
- shake with relaxed hands;
- roll a ball or ball between the palms;
- squeeze the massage ball in your hands.
Lifting and lowering the limbs while lying in bed helps restore blood circulation. Manual therapy is effective. Carrying out from 1 to 5 sessions, relieve tension in the cervical and thoracic spine. Acting on certain points of the body, they are relieved of dysfunction of the costovertebral region and shoulder joint.
Right arm goes numb: treatment with physiotherapeutic methods
Positive dynamics are achieved by combining physiotherapy with medications. The impact occurs using gentle but effective methods, without side effects (subject to proper prescription).
Center for Progressive Medicine "Doctor Pozvonkov" offers:
- relieving compression load using underwater and dry traction of the spine;
- underwater shower, mud and heat therapy;
- massage;
- administration of medications to biologically active points (pharmacopuncture);
- interstitial electrical stimulation;
- electro- and phonophoresis;
- other.
Physiotherapy can eliminate the causes of numbness or achieve stable remission. They are carried out in a course of 10-15 procedures and provide a cumulative effect.