5 Common Causes of Hand Numbness or Tingling Overview

Last Updated: March 20, 2024

Published By: MediFind Medical Staff

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What causes hand numbness or tingling?

Numbness or tingling in your hands can happen for many reasons. Your provider can help you figure out what might be causing these sensations. They will want to know when it happens, how often it happens, how long it lasts and what other symptoms you might be experiencing to figure out the best way to treat it. MediFind shares potential causes of hand numbness or tingling below. Learn more about how MediFind works here. You can also enter your symptoms into MediFind’s Symptom Checker for customized results.  

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The area in your wrist where the nerve enters the hand is called the carpal tunnel. Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when there’s too much pressure on the nerve in your wrist that controls feeling and movement in your hand. This can cause pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, or damage to the hand and fingers. Your care team might suggest strategies like wearing a splint at night (and possibly during the day) and to avoid sleeping on your wrists. Warm and cold compresses on the affected area could also help treat carpal tunnel syndrome. Depending on how long you’ve had symptoms and how severe they are, some people may need surgery. Find a nearby primary care doctor here.

Diabetic Neuropathy

Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage that can happen to people living with diabetes. High blood sugar (glucose) can injure nerves throughout the body. Diabetic neuropathy most often damages nerves in the legs and feet. Depending on the location of the affected nerves, diabetic neuropathy symptoms include pain and numbness in the hands. You can help prevent diabetic neuropathy, or slow its progress, by managing blood sugar levels and making healthy lifestyle choices. Endocrinologists specialize in treating diabetes. Find one nearby here.  

Cervical Spondylosis

Cervical spondylosis happens from aging and chronic wear on the cervical spine. This includes the disks or cushions between the neck vertebrae and the joints between the bones of the cervical spine. There may be abnormal growths or spurs on the bones of the spine (vertebrae). Over time, these changes can press down on (compress) one or more of the nerve roots. Symptoms include numbness and tingling in the arms, hands and fingers, stiff neck, and headaches in the back of the head. Your provider may prescribe treatments, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs), muscle relaxants, or antidepressants to help manage pain. Neurologists treat cervical spondylosis. Find one nearby here.

Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral nerves carry information to and from the brain. They also carry signals to and from the spinal cord to the rest of the body. Peripheral neuropathy happens when these nerves don’t work properly. This can occur because of damage to a single nerve or a group of nerves. It may also affect nerves in the whole body. It has a wide variety of causes. Symptoms include pain, tingling, or numbness in the arms and legs that start in the fingers and toes. Your provider may prescribe treatments to help address pain in the feet, legs, and arms, but these medications may not bring back loss of feeling. A neurologist specializes in the treatment of disorders of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Find one nearby here.

Raynaud’s Phenomenon

Raynaud’s phenomenon is a disorder that causes decreased blood flow to the fingers. It happens when small arteries that supply blood to the skin constrict (or shrink) in response to cold temperatures or stress. This limits blood supply to the affected area, which can last minutes to several hours. First, the affected area becomes white, and then turns blue. When blood flow returns, the area turns red and then later returns to its normal color. Sometimes, Raynaud’s phenomenon can be a sign of a more serious condition. Raynaud’s phenomenon is treated by rheumatologists, which are doctors who treat diseases of the joints, muscles, and bones. Find one near you here.

Understanding the Results

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Differences in Age Groups

Hand numbness or tingling may vary among age groups depending on lifestyle, physiological changes, and medical conditions. Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs most often in people aged 30 to 60. 

Differences among Men and Women

Hand numbness or tingling can happen in both men and women.