Tingling Hands: Possible Causes for Tingling in Arms

Tingling hands and arms is a neurological symptom that may occur due to any kind of damage, disease or injury to a sensory nerve. Like burning, creeping or numbness, it is a kind of skin sensation which is also known as paresthesia. Its severity depends from person to person, i.e. if you are healthy and wake up with tingling in your arm or hand, it can be ignored. But if you are suffering from a heart disease or hypertension or diabetes and experience tingling in your arm or hand, then don't ignore it and consult a therapist. The possible causes for tingling in arms and hands depend upon the exact location of the paresthesia sensations, which mainly include a physical nerve injury type condition like a nerve entrapment or a pressure applied to the nerve or to the spinal attachment of that nerve. Another reason can be a disease condition affecting the nerves like neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, diabetic neuropathy, etc.

What Causes a Tingling Sensation in the Arm and Hand
The causes for tingling in arms and hands are as follows:

• The most common cause for tingling in the arm is a thoracic outlet syndrome or subluxated first rib. It is a disorder that occurs due to compression at the superior thoracic outlet which affects the brachial plexus (nerves passing into the arms from the neck)
• Basilar artery migraine is another cause that occurs due to malfunctioning of a major brain artery at the base of the brain. Also known as Bickerstaff Syndrome, it causes severe headaches, dizziness, bilateral parethesias, dysarthria, etc.
• Acroparesthesia Syndrome is a condition that usually occurs in middle-aged women, involves paresthesia, i.e tingling, numbness or stiffness of lower arms and hands.
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is another cause for tingling in arms and hands, especially fingers. It mainly occurs when the tendons or ligaments in the wrist become enlarged due to inflammation and aggravation.
• Arachnoid cyst is a cerebrospinal fluid-filled cyst that causes tingling in the arms, and develops between the surface of the brain and the cranial base. It is a rare disorder that develops on the arachnoid membrane covering the spinal cord and brain.
• A break or fracture of the shoulder-blade bone causes tingling in the arm. It is a large flat bone in the top portion of the back that connects the arms to the chest.
• Polyarteritis nodosa is a blood vessel disease where arteries get swollen and damaged, and are incapable of supplying adequate amount of blood to the different parts of the body, hence causing tingling of hands and arms.
• Neuropathy ataxia or retinitis pigmentosa causes tingling in hands and arms. It is a rare inherited disorder that damages the energy producing parts of the cells, hence affecting the nervous system and causing other complications like muscle and vision problems.

These were just few possible causes for tingling in arms and hands. Some other causes include arm fracture, chronic myeloproliferative disorder, classic migraine, Guillain barre syndrome, hyperventilation, etc. Stiff joints in the neck due some injury or improper movement or position can be another common cause of tingling in the arms and hands.

Does Deficiencies in Diet Cause Tingling in hands?
A majority question the authenticity of this question; that of diet being a major culprit in causing tingling in hands. Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Pantothenic Acid (B5) and Pyridoxine (B6) and Vitamin B12 are some essential nutritional requirements to keep from tingling sensations. Vitamin B12 is found in meat products, soy supplements and seaweed. It is important that your intake of supplements be continued, especially when their diet has an inadequacy of nutrients. It is important to mention that foods that consist added preservatives should not be consumed as their nutrient levels are slackened. Vitamins and minerals are artificially sprayed on them before packaging. Oral pills, injections and fluids could serve to be the required supplement to fight these deficiencies. The decision is best left to a trusted healthcare professionals' authority and experience.

Consult a practitioner and consciously make changes in your dietary intake. If the condition is still not under control, make sure that you adhere to the expert's prescription to the T.