If your fingertips are numb, it’s important to see your doctor. Numbness in your fingers can be a sign of a serious condition, such as a stroke, which occurs when blood flow is cut off to part of your brain.
Some conditions that cause numbness in the fingers can be treated with medication or surgery. Others can be treated by changing your habits, such as avoiding cold temperatures or stress.
Causes
Nerves run throughout the body and, in the hands, they work to transmit messages from the fingers to the brain. If the nerves become compressed, damaged or irritated, numbness may occur.
Numbness and tingling can be caused by injuries, medication side effects, autoimmune diseases like Raynaud’s disease (a condition that causes the small arteries in the fingers to spasm), and other medical conditions. Some of these causes of finger numbness can be reversed by eliminating or minimizing the problem that’s causing it. 손목통증병원
For example, numbness in the pinky and ring fingers can be caused by sleeping with your arm on top of or bent behind the elbow (which compresses the ulnar nerve). The numbness can also result from chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, where a person takes medications that cause numbness in the hand, wrist, arms and legs.
Fortunately, this is often reversible when the person gets medical treatment for the symptoms early. This is why it’s important to see a hand surgeon when you first notice the numbness and tingling.
Symptoms
Numbness in the fingertips can range from a minor nuisance to a serious health issue. If the numbness is constant or severe, it’s best to see your doctor promptly to determine the cause and treatment options.
Numb fingers can happen when the nerves that send feelings to your brain get compressed or obstructed, like in carpal tunnel syndrome. Other causes of numbness include a wrist injury, such as a sprain or a broken bone, or medications that affect the nervous system, such as chemotherapy drugs and HIV/AIDS medicines.
Numbness in the fingers can also be a sign of rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition that leads to inflammation and pain in the hands and feet. Other symptoms of rheumatoid artritis include swelling, tenderness, and weakness in the fingers and hands.
Vasculitis is another condition that causes your blood vessels to narrow, resulting in numbness and tingling in the hands and fingers. It often occurs in people who are taking certain medications, such as blood thinners.
Diagnosis
A doctor can help diagnose the cause of numbness in your fingers by asking you questions about your symptoms and performing tests. These include a blood test, an electromyography test (EMG), or an ultrasound to check for nerve damage in your arms and hands.
The radial, median, and ulnar nerves in your hands work together to send signals between the brain and your hand and finger muscles so you can move and feel them. They can become pinched or irritated, such as in carpal tunnel syndrome, which is more common in people who use their hands for repetitive tasks, like typing or using hand tools.
Numbness that starts suddenly may be a sign of a stroke, which is a medical emergency and needs to be treated right away. Numbness that gets worse over time is more likely caused by nerve compression or other underlying health problems, like diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis.
If your numbness is accompanied by achy or cold fingers, you may have Raynaud’s disease, a condition that affects the smaller blood vessels in your skin and limits circulation.
Treatment
Numbness in the hands can be a sign of nerve injury. Often it can be relieved by rest and medication. If it doesn’t get better or if other symptoms are present, it’s time to see your doctor.
There are a variety of causes for finger numbness, including compression or irritation of the nerves that run through your hand, wrist and elbow. Diseases that affect the peripheral nerves, like diabetes, can cause this symptom. More rarely, numbness in the fingers may be caused by a problem with your brain or spinal cord, but that is very rare. 손끝저림
The ulnar nerve can get pinched behind your elbow, a condition called cubital tunnel syndrome. This can cause numbness in the ring and pinky fingers and pain along the inside of your elbow. Ganglion cysts can also compress a nerve and cause numbness in the fingertips.
Most of these cysts will go away on their own, but if they’re causing significant discomfort you can have them removed by surgery.