Tingling in the hands: 12 main causes and what to do

Some of the most common causes of tingling in the hands are pressure on the nerves, difficulties in blood circulation, inflammation, alcohol abuse, more serious diseases such as diabetes, stroke, multiple sclerosis or infarction.

The hands and arms are parts of the body that contain a large number of nerve endings, which allows you to have more delicate movements and feel objects and changes in temperature, for example. Thus, any small changes that may affect these nerves and cause tingling, and this is not always serious or should be a cause for concern.

In any case, if the tingling is intense, it takes many days to disappear or if it appears associated with other symptoms such as excessive tiredness, chest pain or difficulty speaking it is important to go to the doctor to start the appropriate treatment.

1. Changes in circulation

Tingling in the hands and feet can be caused by circulatory diseases of the arteries and veins, which also generate other symptoms such as pain and the formation of ulcers. In addition, feeling your hands and fingers tingling upon waking can also indicate poor circulation.

What to do: the treatment is done depending on the type of deficiency in the blood circulation and if there was involvement of veins or arteries, and may include the use of elastic stockings, use of medicines, such as AAS, or even surgery, for example. To confirm and decide on the best treatment, the indicated professional is the vascular surgeon.

2. Pressure on the nerves

The nerves that innervate the arms leave the spinal cord, passing through the spine, and reach the most peripheral parts of the hand and fingers. Along the way, these nerves can be pressured, either by tumors, infections or dilated blood vessels, as well as by spinal radiculopathy, which is when the nerves are still compromised in the spine, by a herniated disc, spinal osteoarthritis or stenosis of the spinal canal, for example. Learn more about what radiculopathy is and its causes.

What to do: it is necessary to seek assistance from the orthopedist or neurologist, so that treatment is carried out according to the cause of the nerve compression, whether with physiotherapy or surgery, for example.

3. Migraine with aura

In many people, migraine may be preceded by sensitive symptoms, called aura, which include tingling in the hands, arms, legs or mouth, for example, in addition to visual changes, speech difficulties or even weakness in the limbs.

What to do: The treatment of migraine is guided by the neurologist, and includes the use of analgesic, anti-inflammatory or anti-migraine drugs to relieve pain, in addition to the need for preventive treatment and measures to prevent crises, such as preventing certain foods, smells or lack of sleep, for example. Find out which remedies are indicated to treat migraine.

4. Stroke

Although it is a rarer situation, one of the first symptoms of a stroke is the tingling sensation in one arm or hand. In addition, other common symptoms of this problem include crooked mouth, lack of strength on one side of the body and difficulty speaking.

What to do: in case of suspected stroke, an ambulance should be called immediately, calling 192, or immediately go to the emergency room. See more what to do and how to identify the stroke.

5. Carpal tunnel syndrome

This syndrome is the main cause of tingling in the hands and happens when the median nerve, which innervates the palm of the hand is compressed in the wrist region, causing tingling or numbness that worsens at night, difficulty holding small objects and feeling of having fingers swollen. This condition is very common during pregnancy, being the most common cause of tingling in the hands during pregnancy.

What to do: depending on the severity of the compression of the median nerve, there are exercises that can be done to improve the symptoms, however, the only way to guarantee a cure is to perform nerve decompression surgery. Check out physiotherapy guidelines in the following video:

6. Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that causes gradual breakdown of nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. Thus, some symptoms include loss of strength, excessive tiredness, memory failures and tingling in various parts of the body, which can also be accompanied by a burning sensation.

What to do: the treatment needs to be done with the use of drugs that delay the development of the disease, such as Interferon or Mitoxantrone. Therefore, it is necessary to consult a general practitioner or neurologist to diagnose the disease and start the appropriate treatment. Learn more about what it is and how to treat multiple sclerosis.

7. Synovial cyst

The synovial cyst can appear in any of the joints of the hands, such as the wrist or fingers, and usually causes the appearance of a small lump on the skin, filled with fluid from the joint, which can end up compressing the nerves and generating tingling in the hand, as well as loss force.

What to do: applying cold compresses over the lump can help to reduce swelling and relieve symptoms, however, there may be cases where it may be necessary to aspirate the liquid or use anti-inflammatories, and the orthopedist should be consulted if not improvement after 1 week. See how to use the cold compresses.

8. Deficiency of vitamins

Deficiency of certain vitamins, especially vitamins B12, B6, B1 or E, can cause changes in the nerves that cause tingling in different parts of the body and changes in sensitivity, in addition to several others such as irritability, tiredness and psychiatric changes, for example.

What to do: these deficiencies can be combated through a special diet rich in these vitamins or through the replacement of vitamin supplements, orally or intramuscularly, as may be necessary in the case of vitamin B12.

9. Heart attack

Tingling or numbness in the left arm, or more rarely, in the right arm, can be a symptom of a heart attack, especially when it gets worse on exertion or is accompanied by other symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, malaise or cold sweat.

What to do: in case of suspected heart attack, it is necessary to go immediately to the emergency room or call the mobile emergency service, at number 192, so that, if it is confirmed, the treatment starts as soon as possible, to prevent irreversible damage to the heart. Learn to identify the symptoms of heart attack in women, men or the elderly.

10. Uncontrolled diabetes

Sometimes, diabetes can be a difficult disease to diagnose, especially if it does not cause classic symptoms such as very frequent urge to urinate or excessive thirst. In cases where treatment is not started, or is not followed in the correct manner indicated by the doctor, blood sugar levels become high in the bloodstream.

When sugar levels are very high, for a long time, one of the consequences is the appearance of small nerve injuries in various parts of the body and, therefore, diabetes can be a cause of tingling in the hands, arms, legs or feet, for example.

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What to do: When diabetes is suspected, it is very important to go to the endocrinologist to start insulin treatment, since only changes in diet may not be able to treat tingling. Understand how diabetes is treated.

11. Hypothyroidism

When hypothyroidism is not treated correctly it can cause nerve damage that carries information between the brain and the rest of the body. Thus, in addition to symptoms such as hair loss, weight gain or a constant cold sensation, hypothyroidism can also cause tingling in various parts of the body, including the hands and arms.

What to do: when it is already known that you have a thyroid problem, or when there is suspicion, you should go to the endocrinologist to start the appropriate treatment with drugs that control the thyroid. Here are also some tips for regulating the thyroid with food:

12. Lateral epicondylitis

Epicondylitis, also known as tennis elbow, is an inflammation of the muscles and tendons of the elbow that arises due to the repetitive use of the joint, as it happens in tennis players or people who work on assembly lines, for example.

In these cases, there may be severe pain in the elbow and loss of strength in the entire arm, and the tingling usually arises from compression of the ulnar nerve, located in the arm, due to inflammation.

What to do: applying cold compresses to the elbow can relieve symptoms, however, it may be necessary to have physiotherapy sessions or to take anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Ibuprofen, in the most severe cases. Thus, it is always important to consult an orthopedist. Learn more about the treatment of epicondylitis.

How to get to the diagnosis of what is

The doctor will observe the symptoms you have, when they appear and what intensity. Work habits and life history can help you discover what may be causing this discomfort. Certain blood tests can be ordered in case of suspected diabetes, vitamin deficiency or immune system disorders, in addition, an electromyogram test can be ordered to assess the activity of the arm and hand muscles.

Which treatment is indicated

Treatment must be directed to the cause, and therefore it varies a lot. The doctor can only recommend exercises to increase blood circulation, maintaining the ideal weight, physiotherapy sessions can be useful in case of musculoskeletal or neuromotor impairment, and use of medications, in case of infections or autoimmune diseases, for example. In case of alcohol abuse, its restriction also contributes to improving numbness.