Causes of numbness in the fingers

Hands stop feeling and obeying their owner, partially or completely losing tactility. An unpleasant sensation. A person does not "feel his hands" - they say. So what are the causes of numbness in the fingers? What to do and how to help yourself return "old feelings"? Only a qualified specialist can answer this question.

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Causes of numbness in fingers at night

Losing the ability to feel is unpleasant and sometimes scary. But if this happens for the first time, don’t panic right away, because the reasons for numbness in your fingers at night can be completely different.

• The first and quite common cause of loss of sensitivity in the upper limbs of a person is an uncomfortable sleeping position. A position in which the blood vessels are squeezed, which hinders the flow of blood to the phalanges of the fingers - they say "the hand has gone numb". In this case, it is enough to resume the blood flow so that the tactility of the fingers is restored. At the first moment of blood flow, the "victim" begins to feel tingling and a slight itch in the limbs. Over time, this goes away.
• Another reason for numbness in the fingers at night is uncomfortable clothing that restricts movement and the body itself. It can squeeze blood vessels, disrupting blood circulation.
• Arms can also become numb if a person sleeps with their hands behind their head, or in any other position where the upper limbs are located above the level of the heart.
• If a person's professional activity is associated with monotonous, repetitive actions that raise the upper limbs above the level where the heart is located, in such a situation, the heart needs to create a greater pushing pressure to pump the blood flow to the fingers. And since the pressure is not enough, the phalanges suffer from a lack of blood supply. And as a result - numbness of the fingers.
• The same symptoms can be observed after prolonged carrying of a heavy load.
• Hyperventilation can provoke numbness of the limbs. This is shallow, very rapid breathing that occurs at the moment of fear or any other negative excitement, as well as as a result of some disease.
• The reason for numbness of fingers at night can also be an uncomfortable bed: mattress, pillow. In this case, I would like to advise the respondent to purchase orthopedic bedding, because fruitful sleep is not only a great mood for the whole day, but also the health of the resting organism.

But there may be more serious reasons for numbness in the fingers at night, associated with pathological changes in the human body.

• Circulatory disorders.
• Vascular sclerosis is a disease of the human cardiovascular system associated with damage to the walls of blood vessels by cholesterol deposits.
• Due to deformation of the intervertebral discs (with osteochondrosis), you can also get a feeling of numbness. In this case, the pathology of the cervical spine mainly affects. It is worth consulting a neurologist.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome is a problem that results from compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel area. This canal is located in the area of the wrist of the human hand. Tendons and nerve fibers pass through it, which control the sensitivity of the phalanges and palm. If, as a result of an inflammatory process in the tendon with the formation of swelling, or some mechanical impact, the nerve is pinched, blood circulation worsens, then the sensitivity of the upper limb is impaired.
• Diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disease caused by a lack of insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas), which results in an increase in glucose levels in human blood plasma.
• Similar symptoms can also be caused by pinching of the neurovascular bundle of one of the muscles in a spasmodic state. This can also happen when lying in an uncomfortable position.
• The primary source of numbness in the upper limbs can be disruptions in the blood circulation of one of the areas of the brain. In this case, loss of sensitivity is usually accompanied by high blood pressure. This disease requires close attention and long-term treatment. Only after effective therapy can you get rid of the feeling of numbness.

If the numbness of the limbs is short-term and quickly passes, there is nothing to worry about - this is a normal physiologically explainable reaction of the body to the impact. Otherwise, it would not be superfluous to consult a therapist who, if necessary, will refer the patient to a more specialized specialist.

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Causes of numbness in the fingers of the left hand

Now it is worth examining in more detail the causes of numbness of the fingers of the left hand in order to be able to better diagnose the primary source of the lesion. Let's define the most common causes:

• Pathological changes in the spine:
  • Consequences of the course of dystrophic-degenerative processes localized in the cervical region of the skeleton.
  • Structural deformation of the intervertebral discs, leading to pinching of the nerve fibers passing through the skeletal trunk.
  • Deformational changes occurring in the bone and connective tissues of the spine, resulting from injury or inflammation.
  • Movement loads and increased static loads to which the body has been subjected for a long time.
  • The predominant cause of this symptomatology is compression of the neurovascular plexus.
• Professional sports activities.
• Monotonous work that requires staying in an uncomfortable position for a long time.
• Work that involves keeping your arms hanging above the level of your heart for long periods of time.
• Increased stress on the spine.
• Long-term tension in the muscles that support the skeletal tree of the human body (back and head), which leads to muscle spasms and pressure on nearby nerve fiber trunks.
• Consequences of stroke and other blood flow disturbances affecting the cervical system and brain regions (ischemic manifestations).
• Psycho-emotional causes of numbness in the fingers of the left hand caused by a stressful situation.
• Cardiological pathology: acute form of coronary syndrome, chronic heart failure.

In most cases, these symptoms are observed at night, during sleep, and in the morning. Numbness can affect both the entire hand and the phalanges of the fingers separately. If the symptoms are rare and go away when changing position, then you should not worry, but if the loss of sensitivity is observed regularly, then you should not ignore the problem and postpone a visit to the doctor, as this may be a manifestation of a very serious disease.

If there is a loss of sensitivity in the left little finger, then the list of causes causing such symptoms can be somewhat narrowed. This may be due to tension that constrains the tissues of the muscles of the upper spine and/or the muscles of the left hand. In most cases, the X-ray can show rotational changes and shifts in the location of the cervical or lumbar vertebrae, which leads to compression of the nerve endings.

Similar symptoms can be observed when a skeletal disc ruptures and its components enter the intervertebral canal, while the fibrous ring remains intact. Doctors classify this pathology as a type of osteochondrosis, which in the future can transform into an intervertebral hernia.

Heart problems can cause numbness in the little finger of the left hand.

Loss of sensitivity in the ring finger of the left hand is associated with compression of the nerve cells of the elbow joint. The wrist, ulnar and median nerves can be damaged in case of injury or pinching, for example, during one of the sports exercises. Almost any dystrophic-degenerative process associated with the wrist and ulnar nerve can lead to numbness of the ring finger of the left hand.

If there was no injury, then the main cause can be considered to be strangulation of the ulnar nerve, the integrity of the signal passing through which can be disrupted at any point along the entire course of the nerve, which starts from the spine and ends at the tip of the phalanx.

If there is a combined loss of sensitivity in the ring finger and little finger, then most likely these are cardiological problems and a consultation with a cardiologist would not be superfluous.

In order for therapeutic treatment to be effective, it is necessary to establish the source of the lesion, which can be done by a doctor - a neurologist or a specialist in another field. To establish the localization and severity of the lesion of nerve fibers, the doctor may prescribe an examination of the cervical spine and elbow or wrist joint. For this, the following is carried out:

• Electrocardiography.
• X-ray examination.
• Magnetic resonance imaging.
• Clinical tests.

If the patient complains of numbness of the thumb of the left hand, then it is worth considering a possible lesion of the cardiovascular system or osteochondrosis of the thoracic and/or cervical spine. The predominant cause of pathological changes is a failure in the metabolic processes occurring in the cartilaginous tissue above the mentioned places. In such a situation, one can also observe the accompanying symptoms:

• Decreased strength of muscle contractions.
• Weakening of the wrist.
• Pain may also be felt in the shoulder and forearm area, bothering the patient from the outside.

Atherosclerosis can also be the cause of loss of sensitivity in the thumb. Its manifestation is characterized by a decrease in the permeability of the blood vessel, loss of elasticity of its walls, which causes a deterioration in the blood flow to the extremities.

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Causes of numbness in the fingers of the right hand

When the sensitivity in the fingers of the right limb disappears, this is not a pleasant sensation. Additional discomfort to this situation is added by the sensation of burning, soreness, tingling in the phalanges. The causes of numbness in the fingers of the right hand can be different, but mainly it is associated with neurovascular pathological manifestations developing on the basis of existing osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae. It also manifests itself against the background of hypertension.

The following causes of numbness in the fingers of the right hand are identified:

• Disruptions in the circulatory system.
• Diabetes mellitus and other endocrine changes.
• Pinched nerve fiber.
• Osteochondrosis progressing in the cervical-thoracic spine.
• A pathology of peripheral vessels caused by narrowing of the arteries, which developed as a result of the accumulation of cholesterol plaques on their walls, which significantly reduces blood flow to the extremities.
• Presence of intervertebral hernias.
• Destruction of a nerve ending due to vascular deformation.
• As manifestations of multiple sclerosis.
• Migraine caused by vascular spasms.
• Cervical spondylosis is a general name for a pathology that manifests itself in the bone structures of the spine and joints, associated with age-related aging of the human body.
• Avitaminosis and deficiency of microelements in the human body.
• Injury to the spine, shoulder, forearm or hand.

Pinched nerve can occur with prolonged uncomfortable position of the right hand: performing complex actions, carrying heavy loads, pinching by the weight of your own body during sleep. In this situation, it will be enough to change the position of the hand, and sensitivity will gradually begin to recover. The fact that numbness is beginning to pass may be indicated by tingling, goosebumps and heat that appear in the deep tissues of the upper limb.

If attacks of numbness occur frequently and last at least three minutes, and there are also painful symptoms, you need to visit a doctor and undergo an examination and testing, since such a clinical picture may indicate a pathology of the vascular or nervous systems.

If the patient is diagnosed with pernicious anemia (a serious disease caused by a lack of vitamin B12 in the body), the patient experiences loss of sensitivity (of the fingers or the hand as a whole) on both hands. Such symptoms can also be shown by a tumor in the brain.

Chronic nerve disease (polyneuropathy), which is often a companion of diabetes mellitus, is manifested by symmetrical loss of sensitivity of the fingers of both extremities, and problems with motor activity can also be observed. Loss of sensitivity of the upper extremities, and in particular the right hand, can be a consequence of chronic alcoholism, as well as a consequence of various types of poisoning.

If, against the background of loss of sensitivity, there is pallor or, conversely, a blue-violet tint of the skin of the upper extremities, accompanied by pain symptoms, then we can talk about the presence of Raynaud's disease in the patient's history, which the patient could have acquired as a result of prolonged hypothermia or "thanks" to numerous injuries.

Quite often, it is possible to observe a joint lesion of the little finger and the ring finger of the right hand - this is a clear indicator of mechanical or inflammatory effects on the nerve fiber of the elbow joint. Less often, a lesion is observed on the wrist (carpal tunnel syndrome). This disease can occur on the basis of monotonous, uniform, constantly repetitive work (for example, the work of a PC user, seamstress, painter, etc.). This category of workers can be advised to take periodic breaks in work, filling the breaks with simple warm-up of the fingers and hand as a whole, which activates the blood circulation process in this area. In the cold season, do not neglect gloves, preferably if they are made of natural material.

As observations show, a third of all diseases of the peripheral nervous system are neuropathies, one of the symptoms of which is numbness of the phalanges of the right hand. This is explained by the fact that the nerve fibers to the phalanges of the upper extremities pass through special channels that connect the spinal cord with the peripheral nerves. There are physiologically determined places where this channel decreases in cross-section. It is in such narrow places that the nerve thread can be pinched, which leads to tunnel syndrome (or peripheral neuropathy).

The result of damage to the cubital canal, which occurs due to compression of the ulnar nerve, may be loss of sensitivity in both the little finger and the ring finger of the right hand, which is accompanied by pain during palpation and weakness in the hand. This pathology can develop as a result of the elbow being bent for a long time, which rests on a hard surface or has a large load on the elbow joint. The following professions have an increased risk of such a manifestation: engineer, musician, jeweler, seamstress, watchmaker, driver and others. Or it may be an injury, for example, received during sports.

It is not worth ignoring neuropathy of the ulnar nerve, since in the case of a progressive pathological process occurring in the elbow joint, complete or partial atrophy of the muscle tissue of the hand of the upper limb can occur.

In case of degenerative-dystrophic processes occurring in the cartilaginous tissues of the spine (a manifestation of osteochondrosis), a decrease in the elasticity of the cartilaginous substance, its resilience, shape and other physiological parameters is observed. This becomes the cause of nerve entrapment. And as a result, the patient begins to be bothered by pain in the chest - neck - shoulders area, respectively, the pain symptoms also spread to the head. At the same time, a person is overcome by fatigue, lethargy, dizziness, a constant background noise is heard in the ears. There may be jumps in blood pressure, misalignment of the movement of various parts of the body, malfunctions in the vestibular apparatus, "gnats" may fly before the eyes. Along with this, with osteochondrosis progressing in the cervicothoracic region, a lack of sensitivity of the index finger of the right hand is quite often observed, less often, but a lack of tactility can be felt in the thumb.

The index finger may also lose sensitivity as a result of arthritis and arthrosis (epicondylosis) of the elbow joint.

• Arthrosis destroys the joint tissue of the elbow, causing pain symptoms, gradually its mobility becomes more and more limited, there is a compression effect on the blood vessels and nerve endings passing through the elbow canal - hence the numbness of the phalanges of the fingers, movement becomes quite problematic, not allowing the phalanges to be brought together.
• Arthritis begins to develop either as a result of heavy loads on the elbow joint, or the disease can be "provoked" by an infection that has entered the patient's body. This picture of pathology causes inflammation that affects all the tissues of the elbow. Due to this, the conductivity of nerve impulses is significantly reduced and, as a result, the index finger loses sensitivity.

If a patient complains of a slight loss of sensation in the index phalanx, and at the same time the person does not feel the middle finger of the right hand, then doctors may talk about structural disorders in the tissues. This entails functional failures in the work of the muscles and discs of the neck, intervertebral tissues. As a result, the nerve endings are compressed, the signal passing through them weakens and, not having received proper nutrition, the phalanx begins to lose sensitivity. Often, such a failure is accompanied by pain symptoms in the shoulder and forearm.

The middle phalanx may also lose sensitivity due to neuropathy of the peripheral zone, resulting from damage to the integrity of the distal processes of the nerve receptors of the radial nerve. The primary cause of the pathology is a rupture or damage to the nerve fiber, resulting from stretching, subluxation of the elbow joint, or carpal tunnel syndrome.

Causes of Numbness in Fingertips

If a person has "slept" his hand in his sleep and in the morning feels a lack of sensitivity in its unequal endings, it is often enough to stretch the joints by doing simple morning exercises and all sensations are restored. But the causes of numbness in the fingertips can also come from the following pathologies:

• Osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae can cause numbness.
• The primary cause of discomfort may be a lack of iron in human blood plasma.
• Diabetes mellitus can also be the cause of numbness in the tips of the phalanges of the upper limbs.
• Pancreatitis can cause loss of sensitivity.
• If the patient's professional activity is associated with monotonous work, burdened by the constant need to keep the hand in tension. In this case, it would not be superfluous to periodically give the hands a rest, warming them up or doing special exercises. Do not forget that if the sensitivity of the phalanges is not restored within half an hour, then the person risks losing the functionality of the upper limb.
• This symptomatology is also shown by Raynaud's syndrome, which is formed "due to" prolonged freezing or numerous injuries and fractures to which the hand has been subjected. With this disease, there is a violation of normal blood circulation, which entails a loss of sensitivity. Oddly enough, but such a pathology is more inherent in the fair sex. You should not allow your hands to freeze. To do this, in the cold season, you should constantly use gloves, preferably made of natural materials.
• Numbness in the fingertips is often caused by diseases associated with dysfunction of the endocrine glands.
• Joint diseases of various origins can also lead to such pathology.
• Stagnation of venous blood can also provoke a loss of sensitivity in the pads of the phalanges.
• This pathology can also be a consequence of hypertension – high blood pressure.
• Polyneuropathy may be the cause of these symptoms.

In any case, it is worth knowing a few simple exercises that will take a little time, but will help activate blood flow and restore sensitivity to the fingers.

1. This exercise can be done either sitting or standing. You need to raise both hands up and make a few shaking movements, after which you can lower them. Do ten such approaches.
2. The following exercise can also be done in any position (both sitting and standing). Spread your upper limbs to the side and, stretched out, raise them parallel to the floor. Perform rotational movements first clockwise and then counterclockwise. Do ten approaches.
3. The body position is similar to the previous exercise. Hands are parallel to the floor, the phalanges of the fingers are clenched into a fist. We begin rotational movements in the wrist, first clockwise, and then counterclockwise. Do ten such rotations.
4. Sit upright on a chair or stool. Make rotational movements with your head: first one way, then the other, then top to bottom and back. But it is worth noting that this exercise must be done without jerking, smoothly and slowly. Repeat ten times.
5. Place your hands in front of your chest so that the palm of your right hand touches the palm of your left hand, and rub one hand against the other.
6. The same position, but only the fingertips touch. Massage, press them together.
7. Massage the fingers and palm of the other hand with one hand. Then switch hands.

If possible, it would be a good idea to do this gymnastic block three times throughout the day.

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Causes of numbness in the thumb

Karpos - translated from Greek is a wrist, therefore, accordingly, carpal tunnel syndrome is directly related to problems occurring in this area. Depending on the degree of damage, this pathology affects the loss of sensitivity of the phalanges of the thumb, as well as the middle, index and partially ring fingers. In this situation, there is a compression effect on the median nerve passing through the carpal canal.

Other causes of thumb numbness:

• These symptoms can be provoked by prolonged, repetitive movements that are burdened by stress.
• An uncomfortable static position of the body, and in particular the wrist joint of the hands (working on a computer, playing the piano, driving a car, jewelry making, etc.) can also cause numbness.
• Stenosing ligamentosis of the transverse ligaments - due to heavy loads on the upper limbs, the connective tissue of the wrist begins to swell. The edema puts pressure on the trunk of the nerve fibers, often weakening or completely interrupting the impulse passing through the fibers to the nerve endings. This causes loss of sensitivity and stiffness in the movements of the phalanges.
• Numbness of the thumb can also be caused by pathologies such as:
  • Arthritis.
  • Hemangioma is a tumor that develops from blood vessels.
  • Arthrosis.
  • Neurofibroma is a benign tumor that develops from the sheaths of nerves.

It is worth remembering that if numbness does not go away within 30 minutes, this is a signal that prompts you to go to the doctor. After all, ignoring the problem leads to aggravation of the pathology and can end with atrophy of the muscles of the thumb.

As you can see from the article, the causes of numbness in the fingers are quite varied. Some of them do not bring pathological changes to the human body and it is enough to just change your position and warm up well, and the problem is solved on its own. But if there are accompanying symptoms, and numbness in the fingers brings discomfort into your life quite often, then do not expect the problem to resolve itself. In such a situation, the help of a specialist is clearly needed. After all, only he can prescribe the necessary package of examinations, analyze their results and prescribe effective treatment.