Numbness in your hands usually is not a sign of an emergency.
Although unlikely, it’s possible that hand numbness could be a sign of a stroke. A stroke is brain damage caused by decreased blood supply to a region of your brain.
Hand numbness can be the only sign of a stroke, or it can occur with other symptoms. Prompt treatment may reduce your risk for long-term brain damage. It may even se your life.
Medical emergencyCall 911 or he someone take you to the nearest emergency room if you experience:
sudden weakness or numbness in your arm or leg, especially if it’s only on one side of your bodytrouble speaking or understanding othersconfusiondrooping of your facesudden trouble seeing out of one or both eyessudden dizziness or loss of balancesudden severe headache2. Carpal tunnelThe carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway that runs through the center of your wrist. In the center of this tunnel is the median nerve. This nerve supplies feeling to your fingers, including your thumb, index, middle, and part of your ring finger.
Repetitive activities like typing or working on an assembly line can cause the tissues around the median nerve to swell up and put pressure on this nerve. The pressure can cause numbness along with tingling, pain, and weakness in the affected hand.
If the condition persists, it can cause permanent nerve damage. Sometimes surgery is necessary to relieve the pressure.
3. Vitamin or mineral deficiencyYou need vitamin B12 to keep your nerves healthy. Severe B12 deficiency can cause numbness in your hands and feet on both sides of your body.
Potassium and magnesium deficiency may also cause numbness.
The most common symptom of a vitamin B12 deficiency is fatigue. Other symptoms may include:
weaknesstrouble walking and balancingdifficulty thinking clearlyseeing things that are not there (hallucinations)4. Certain medicationsNerve damage (neuropathy) can be a side effect of several different medications, especially those that treat cancer. It can affect both your hands and feet.
Some of the medications that can cause numbness include:
Antibiotics. These include metronidazole (Flagyl), nitrofurantoin (Macrobid), and fluoroquinolones (Cipro).Anticancer drugs. Cisplatin and vincristine are examples.Antiseizure drugs. An example is phenytoin (Dilantin).Heart or blood pressure drugs. These include amiodarone (Nexterone) and hydralazine (Apresoline).Other symptoms of drug-induced nerve damage include:
decreased sensationtinglingatypical feelings in your handsweakness5. Slipped cervical discDiscs are the soft cushions that separate the bones (vertebrae) of your spine. A disruption in the structure of your spinal column may cause movement of the disk. This is called a herniated, or slipped, disc.
Swelling around the nerve, a damaged disc, or degeneration of the bones of your spine can put pressure on and irritate the nerves of your spine. In addition to numbness, a slipped disc can cause weakness or pain in your arm or leg.
6. Raynaud’s diseaseAlso called Raynaud’s phenomenon, this vascular condition affects some people who are predisposed to it.
The symptoms occur when your blood vessels narrow, reducing the amount of blood reaching your hands and feet. The decreased blood flow makes your fingers and toes become numb, cold, pale, and painful.
These symptoms typically appear from cold exposure or stress.
7. Cubital tunnel syndromeThe ulnar nerve runs from your neck to your hand on the pinky side. The nerve can become compressed or overstretched at the inner aspect of your elbow. This can happen after prolonged positions put pressure on your elbow or due to swelling from repetitive movement.
Doctors refer to this condition as cubital tunnel syndrome. This is the same nerve area you may affect when you hit your “funny bone.”
Cubital tunnel syndrome can cause symptoms such as hand numbness and tingling, especially in your ring and pinky fingers. A person may also experience forearm pain and weakness in their hand, especially when they bend their elbow.
8. Cervical spondylosisCervical spondylosis is a type of arthritis that affects the discs in your neck. It’s caused by years of wear on your spinal bones. The damaged vertebrae can press on nearby nerves, causing numbness in your hands, arms, and fingers.
Most people with cervical spondylosis do not he any symptoms. Others may feel pain and stiffness in their neck.
This condition can progress and may also cause:
weakness in your arms, hands, legs, or feetheadachesa popping noise when you move your neckloss of balance and coordinationmuscle spasms in your neck or shouldersloss of control over your bowels or bladder9. LupusLupus is an autoimmune disease. This means your body attacks your own organs and tissues. It causes inflammation in many organs and tissues, including your:
jointsheartkidneyslungsSymptoms of lupus come and go. Which symptoms you he depends on which parts of your body are affected.
Pressure from inflammation can damage nerves and lead to numbness or tingling in your hands. Other common symptoms include:
a butterfly-shaped rash on your facefatiguejoint pain, stiffness, and swellingsun sensitivityfingers and toes that turn cold and blue (Raynaud’s phenomenon)shortness of breathheadachesconfusiontrouble concentratingvision problems10. Ganglion cystGanglion cysts are fluid-filled growths. They form on tendons or joints in your wrists or hands. They can grow to an inch or more in diameter and they usually look like a lump on your hand.
If these cysts press on a nearby nerve, they can cause numbness, pain, or weakness in your hand.
11. DiabetesIf you are living with diabetes, your body will he trouble moving sugar from your bloodstream into your cells. Hing high blood sugar for a long period of time can lead to nerve damage called diabetic neuropathy.
Peripheral neuropathy is the type of nerve damage that causes numbness in your arms, hands, legs, and feet.
Other symptoms of peripheral neuropathy include:
burninga pins-and-needles feelingweaknesspainloss of balance12. Thyroid disorderThe thyroid gland in your neck produces hormones that help regulate your body’s metabolism. An underactive thyroid, or hypothyroidism, happens when your thyroid produces too little of its hormones.
Untreated hypothyroidism can also cause peripheral neuropathy. It can cause numbness, weakness, and tingling in your hands and feet.
13. Alcohol-related neuropathyAlcohol is safe to drink in small amounts, but too much can damage some tissues, including your nerves. Drinking large amounts of alcohol or drinking while hing conditions such as kidney or liver disease could lead to numbness and tingling in your hands and feet.
Other symptoms of alcohol-related neuropathy include:
a pins-and-needles feelingmuscle weaknessmuscle cramps or spasmstrouble controlling urinationerectile dysfunction14. FibromyalgiaFibromyalgia is a condition that causes fatigue and muscle pain. It’s sometimes confused with chronic fatigue syndrome because the symptoms are so similar. The fatigue with fibromyalgia can be intense. The pain is centered in various tender points around your body.
People with fibromyalgia may also he numbness and tingling in their hands, arms, feet, legs, and face.
Other symptoms include:
depressiontrouble concentratingsleep problemsheadachesbelly painconstipationdiarrhea15. Lyme diseaseDeer ticks infected with bacteria can transmit Lyme disease to humans through a bite. People who contract the bacteria that cause Lyme disease first develop a rash shaped like a bull’s-eye and flu-like symptoms, such as fever and chills.
Later symptoms of this disease include:
numbness in your arms or legsjoint pain and swellingtemporary paralysis on one side of your facefever, stiff neck, and severe headacheweaknesstrouble moving muscles16. EpicondylitisLateral epicondylitis is called “tennis elbow” because it’s caused by a repetitive motion, like swinging a tennis racket. The repeated motion damages muscles and tendons in your forearm, causing pain and burning on the outside of your elbow. This is very unlikely to cause any numbness in your hands.
Medial epicondylitis is a similar condition nicknamed “golfer’s elbow.” It causes pain on the inside of your elbow as well as possible weakness, numbness, or tingling in your hands, especially in your pinky and ring fingers. It may lead to numbness if there’s significant swelling around this area that’s causing dysfunction in the ulnar nerve. But this is very rare.
17. Multiple sclerosisMultiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease where your immune system attacks the protective coating around nerve fibers. Over time, the nerves become damaged.
Symptoms depend on which nerves are affected. Numbness and tingling are among the most common symptoms. Your arms, face, or legs may lose feeling. The numbness is usually only on one side of your body.
Other symptoms include:
vision lossdouble visiontinglingweaknesselectric-shock sensationstrouble with coordination or walkingslurred speechtirednessloss of control over your bladder or bowels