I always feel numbness in my fingers. Is it a stroke? It could be one of the following

A friend told Huazi that he had been feeling numbness in his fingers recently, especially in the morning after getting up. He asked Huazi if the numbness in his fingers meant that blood vessels in his brain were blocked and if he was going to have a stroke.

Huazi said that finger numbness is not necessarily a precursor to a stroke. It may also be due to other reasons, such as compression of the nerves in the hands or elbows, and problems with the cervical spine, which are also common causes of finger numbness.

1. Characteristics of finger numbness during stroke A stroke refers to a cerebral infarction or cerebral hemorrhage that damages the brain's nerve center, causing symptoms such as limb numbness and loss of control. If finger numbness is caused by a stroke, the patient usually has a long history of chronic diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, or a long history of smoking, or atrial fibrillation caused by heart disease.

Finger numbness caused by stroke usually only occurs on one side of the limb and will persist, often accompanied by other symptoms, such as dizziness, crooked mouth, black vision, weakness in the upper and lower limbs on the same side as the numb finger, slurred speech, etc. If these symptoms occur, do not hesitate to call the "120" emergency number immediately for help.

2. Compression of wrist nerve and elbow nerve However, for most people, finger numbness is only a temporary symptom. The numbness will gradually disappear as they move around after getting up. This situation is most likely caused by carpal tunnel stenosis or cubital tunnel stenosis, which compresses the nerves.

The movement of our fingers is controlled by nerves. The wrist joint has a carpal tunnel, through which the "median nerve" passes, which is responsible for controlling the nerves of the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and ring finger near the middle finger. If the wrist joint is overused, such as doing too many push-ups, riding for a long time, or chefs doing long-term actions such as flipping the spoon and kneading dough, the carpal tunnel will be continuously stimulated, which will induce carpal tunnel stenosis, compress the nerves, and cause numbness or pain in these three and a half fingers.

There is also an ulnar nerve in the hand, which is responsible for controlling the little finger and the nerve on the side of the ring finger near the little finger. The ulnar nerve does not pass through the carpal tunnel, but passes through the cubital tunnel at the elbow joint. If the cubital tunnel is stimulated by lifting heavy objects frequently, it may cause cubital tunnel stenosis, compress the ulnar nerve, and cause numbness or pain in this one and a half fingers.

Finger numbness caused by carpal tunnel stenosis or cubital tunnel stenosis can be diagnosed by going to the hospital for an electromyography test. Afterwards, drugs such as methylcobalamin and vitamin B1 can be used to promote nerve metabolism repair, and then combined with acupuncture, rehabilitation exercises, physical therapy and other methods to relieve symptoms. If the condition is serious, you can consider minimally invasive surgery to expand the narrow carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel to eliminate the pressure on the nerves.

3. Finger numbness caused by cervical spondylosis Another cause of finger numbness is cervical spondylosis. The deterioration of the cervical repair ability caused by human aging causes changes in the cervical structure; chronic strain of the cervical spine caused by long-term use of mobile phones, computers, poor sleeping posture, and working with the head down; and factors such as head and neck trauma may cause cervical disc herniation or bone hyperplasia, which can compress the nerves and cause hand numbness.

Finger numbness caused by cervical spondylosis will not be alleviated over time, but will persist, and is usually accompanied by pain in the shoulders, neck, and upper limbs. Treatment methods include improving sleeping posture, correcting bad postures in life and work, and using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve pain, but severe cases require surgical treatment to effectively relieve symptoms.

To sum up, there are many reasons for numbness in fingers, not just stroke. It is very likely that the carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel are strained, which compresses the nerves. It may also be caused by cervical spondylosis. The specific situation should be analyzed specifically. The safest way is to go to the hospital to see a doctor for a detailed examination, rather than looking up information everywhere to "match the symptoms". I am pharmacist Huazi, welcome to follow me and share more health knowledge.