Tingling and Numbness in Fingers

Ever had that pins and needle sensation in your hands and fingers especially? If you are having this sensation quite often, then I am afraid, you might have to see a doctor as soon as possible. It might not be very serious but it is always good to be on the safer side, right?

What is Tingling Sensation
Tingling is a sensation of pins and needles or colloquially it is referred to as limb falling asleep. Many times there are no serious underlying medical condition to this sensation. It all depends on the manifestation of paresthesia which can be transient or chronic. It mostly happens in arms, legs, fingers and feet. These are mainly related to panic attacks, hyper ventilation syndrome, often coupled with open mouth.

Numbness and Tingling Fingers

Causes
Numbness and tingling can be caused by many reasons, from serious causes to temporary ones. These are the following:

• Nerve Injury
• Lack of blood supply
• Diabetes
• Anxiety
• Low electrolyte levels
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Ganglion cyst in the wrist or hands
• Peripheral Neuropathy
• Hypothyroidism
• Migraines
• Lack of Vitamin B 12 or other vitamins
• Specific medicines
• Abnormal levels of mineral like sodium, calcium or potassium
• Radiation therapy
• Stroke
• Hypoglycemia or Hyperglycenia
• Immune Deficiency

There are quite a few other causes of numbness and tingling in fingers or hands and feet as well.

Treatment and Home Care
If there is a persistent tingling in the fingers, it is advisable to seek a medical help, in short a doctor. If it is a chronic paresthesia, there might be a problem with neurons as well. So for immediate diagnosis of tingling and numbness emanating from central nervous system. The respective treatment then can be immediately given. If it is just a pressed nerve, moving that body part from a stationary position and loosening it a bit can be of help. In addition to this rocking your head from side to side can also help. Tingling in fingers can be a result of compression of the cluster of nerves in the neck. Thus loosening the neck can also provide relief. However, if the reason is initial stages of Bell's Palsy, this would not work and a doctor has to be contacted immediately.

In case tingling in fingers, hands and feet is caused by shingles, respective antivirus medication is prescribed by the doctor. Numbing ointments and creams can also be applied, but they have to be applied carefully. Another important thing is to not let the fingers get injured, as decrease in sensation may lead to accidental injury. They have to be taken extra care of and should be protected from bruises, cuts, bumps or the likes.

Tests and Medical Aspects
Just like the CT scan, there are other tests, mainly blood tests which will help the doctors in determining the reason and the course of treatment. These tests, mainly including blood test are-

• Complete blood count
• Electrolyte level (measurement of body chemicals and minerals)
• Thyroid tests
• Measurement of vitamin levels
• Heavy metal or toxicology screening
• MRI of the head
• MRI of the spine
• Angiogram (A test that uses x-rays and a special dye to see inside the blood vessels)
• CT angiogram
• X-ray of the affected area
• Ultrasound of neck vessels to determine your risk of a stroke
• Vascular ultrasound

It is recommended that in case of any unusual symptoms accompanying tingling and numbness like rash, dizziness, muscle spasm and so on call the doctor. Once the diagnosis is done and the cause detected, this condition can be corrected.

I hope this information was useful for you. Oh and I haven't caused a tingling in your brain by writing so much about it I guess! Take Care!