How to Know When to See a Doctor for Loss of Feeling in Fingers

Though carpal tunnel syndrome is far and away the most common cause related to the loss of feeling in the fingers, other rare conditions such as "vibration white finger" syndrome may be causing your discomfort. While you should seek an explanation for any unexplained loss of feeling in your fingers or other extremities, there are some other specifics that you should know before you seek medical advice. Read on to learn more about how to know when to see a doctor for loss of feeling in fingers.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Physician

1. Have a doctor diagnose the cause of any numbness in your fingers that seems to have no apparent cause and cannot be relieved through simple means such as shaking your hands to increase the blood flow.
2. Identify the other symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. You may be experiencing the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome if the loss of feeling in your fingers is coupled with one or more of the following: tingling in your fingers or hand, pain that extends throughout the hand and up into the wrist, elbow and shoulder, general hand weakness or an inability to properly extend your fingers.
3. See a doctor when a seemingly innocuous hand or wrist injury leads to loss of feeling in your fingers. It can signal nerve damage caused by trauma.
4. Make an appointment to speak to your physician if the loss of feeling in your fingers occurs during the night, or is present when you wake up in the morning. Often, carpal tunnel syndrome is worsened when people rest their wrists in awkward positions during sleep and don't know they're doing it.
5. Consider "vibration white finger" (VWF) as a possible cause of the loss of feeling in your fingers, if you have a job that requires you to operate equipment that vibrates, such as a jackhammer. Vibration white finger, as per its name, also causes your fingers to lose their color and take on a white or pale appearance. See a doctor immediately if you develop such symptoms.

Tips & Warnings

• You may not know about ulnar tunnel syndrome, which is similar to carpal tunnel syndrome but results from overuse of or too much pressure on the wrist's ulnar nerve. Its symptoms are similar to carpal tunnel syndrome, but usually begin in the pinky finger (whereas carpal tunnel syndrome generally affects all fingers except the pinky).
• The persistent presence of discomfort of any kind is a signal that you should see your doctor.