How to Determine If Your Hand Tingling And Numbness Is Due To Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Do you experience daily hand tingling and numbness? Does it awaken you from sleep? There are many causes of hand tingling and numbness; however, the most common etiology is carpal tunnel syndrome. The carpal tunnel is a narrow canal in your wrist surrounded by bones and tendon. The nerves and tendons of the hand pass through this canal. Anything that reduces the diameter of this canal can trigger the tingling and numbness of carpal tunnel syndrome by compressing the hand nerves and tendons. So how can you tell if your hand tingling and numbness are the result of carpal tunnel syndrome?
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Instructions
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Do you experience daily symptoms in part of your hand and your first three fingers? Does the hand and finger tingling and numbness worsen with wrist bending?
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Does your hand tingling and numbness awaken you at night? This is a frequent complaint since people bend their wrists while sleeping. Continuous nocturnal wrist compression also promotes morning stiffness and hand cramping.
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Are your symptoms gradually getting worse? There are many theories as to why some people develop carpal tunnel syndrome. It's believed that repetitive grasping and manipulating activities involving the hands and wrists cause swelling and inflammation in the carpal tunnel. The hand tingling and numbness of carpal tunnel syndrome generally worsens until treated.
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Do you have thumb weakness? Do you frequently drop items with your affected hand? Compression of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel leads to hand weakness and atrophy of thumb muscles.
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Does your work require repetitive hand and wrist motion? Many occupational medicine experts believe that constantly engaging in the same manual activity is what causes carpal tunnel syndrome rather than a specific injury or trauma. The repetitive damage tends to be cumulative.
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Certain medical illnesses including diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout seem to increase the likelihood of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.
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Is there a family history of hand tingling and numbness? Genetic factors seem as important as environmental factors in determining who develops carpal tunnel syndrome.
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Does tapping on your affected wrist provoke hand tingling and numbness? When you hold your palms together and lift your elbows to the side does it provoke hand tingling and numbness? If you squeeze your affected wrist with your good hand does it also provoke your symptoms?
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Tips & Warnings
Medical treatment for the hand tingling and numbness of carpal tunnel syndrome is most successful when implemented early.
If you ignore hand tingling and numbness too long you can develop permanent damage.
