What are the Causes of Limb Numbness and Its Treatment?

Do you ever get surprised by the sensation of numbness in your fingers from time to time? Some define limb numbness as the loss of sensation and feeling in your fingers, and it can occur in one hand or both hands, accompanied by other changes such as tingling or burning in the arm or hands and weakness in the fingers. Numbness may occur in one nerve or in both hands. Causes of limb numbness usually include damage, irritation, or pressure on one of the nerves in the arm and wrist.

It could also result from peripheral nerve diseases like diabetes, which can cause numbness in the fingers and is often preceded by similar symptoms in the feet. Rarely is numbness in the fingers caused by problems in the brain or spinal cord. Although it’s usually accompanied by weakness and the inability to move the arm or hand completely, it’s rarely linked to life-threatening disorders like strokes or tumors.

Usually, the doctor will need a set of basic and detailed information about the symptoms to diagnose the cause of numbness. Therefore, you may need to undergo a series of tests to confirm the cause before starting treatment.

There are several possible reasons for finger numbness:

Amyloidosis (caused by the accumulation of amyloid proteins in tissues).
Cervical cancer.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
Lyme disease.
Multiple sclerosis.
Peripheral nerve inflammations.
Raynaud’s disease.
Side effects of chemotherapy.
Spinal cord injuries.
Type 2 diabetes.
Vasculitis.
Vitamin B12 deficiency.
Menopause.
Exposure to toxic substances like radiation.
Nervous system diseases such as strokes.
Taking certain antibiotics.
Malnutrition.
It’s advisable to see a doctor if the finger numbness persists and spreads to other parts of the body, especially if it’s accompanied by paralysis in hand movements, difficulty in speech, dizziness, severe headaches. Before visiting the doctor, certain matters need to be determined: