You may not be aware of it, but you can take a closer look at what's happening inside your body by paying attention to your hands. When something isn't right internally, it frequently shows up externally. Certain parts of the hand may tingle, which could be a sign of a more serious issue.
Here are seven important things your hands are trying to tell you about your health:
1. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome can be manifested through the thumb, index finger and middle finger. It’s often caused by certain actions that are constantly repeated as part of a person’s job or lifestyle. The tendons swell, causing numbness in the hand.
Recommendation: Stretch your joints often to help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.
2. Fatigue
Lifting heavy items and placing your wrists in uncomfortable positions on a regular basis puts pressure on the nerves located close to the surface of the skin. This can cause a tingling sensation on the surface of the fingers.
Recommendation: This is a sign of fatigue. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep and find ways to better manage your stress.
3. Spine Damage
Problems with the spine can manifest in the little finger of the left hand. This is caused by too much pressure on the nerves or damaged nerves.
Recommendation: Stretch your back often, try yoga or swimming. Avoid spending long periods of time sitting.
4. Lack of Vitamins
When your body is lacking certain vitamins, you might feel a tingling sensation in the fingers of the left hand or in the left leg. This can occur when your body lacks Vitamins E, B1, B6 and B12.
Recommendation: Talk to a health care professional to determine the right amount of vitamins for your body and work to restore your vitamin levels.
5. Buerger’s Disease
Buerger’s disease is an illness that most commonly affects smokers. Blood flow becomes disrupted by the constant intake of nicotine, which leads to a lack of minerals in the body. This can lead to numbness first in the fingers, then in the whole arm.
Recommendation: This disease isn’t completely curable, but giving up smoking is the first step.
6. Blood Circulation Problems
If you experience numbness on the fingertips of your right hand, it may be due to pressure on the surface nerves or trauma to the hand or shoulder joint. Certain cardiovascular diseases can also cause tingling in the right hand, because they have an effect on the general flow of blood to the extremities.
Recommendation: Take a walk several times a week or do stretching exercises to improve the health of your blood vessels. If you have a serious problem with blood circulation, you’ll need to see a medical professional.
7. Diabetes
A tingling sensation that works its way up from the feet to parts of the arms is often one of the first signs of diabetes. This happens due to a reduction in blood flow to certain areas, caused by damage to nerve endings and fibers.
Recommendation: Type 1 diabetes can be treated using insulin, while Type 2 diabetes is commonly connected with a poor diet. The first step is to schedule a blood test and consultation with a health care professional.