Are your hands numb?

This is a condition in which an individual feels a loss of sensation or feeling in hands or fingers. Hand numbness usually arises due to damage, irritation or compression of one of the nerves or even a branch of one of the nerves in your arm or wrist. This numbness is often accompanied by a pain like pins and needles, tingling or burning. The hand and fingers may also feel weak or clumsy.

Causes:

Possible causes of numbness in one or both of your hands include:

• Alcoholism
• Lyme disease (a tick-borne illness)
• Multiple sclerosis
• Amyloidosis (when substances called amyloid proteins build up in one's organs)
• Cervical spondylosis
• Spinal cord injury
• HIV/AIDS
• Type 2 diabetes
• Stroke
• Syphilis
• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Peripheral neuropathy (never damage that causes numbness and pain in one's hand and feet)
• Carpal tunnel syndrome

When to seek medical assistance?

If numbness persists or spreads to other parts of your body, consult with your doctor for an evaluation. Treatment for this condition depends on the underlying cause.