Tingling in Hands and Feet

Tingling in hands and feet is annoying and a common occurrence. It is not a condition but a symptom. This can be temporary and benign caused by prolonged pressure on your nerves due to habits that may impinge a certain area. Crossing your legs or resting your head on your arm for too long. This produces that ‘pins and needles’ effect that is mostly painless and resolves after pressure is removed.

The tingling effect in the hands and feet can also be episodic, chronic and severe. Other possible symptoms can accompany this sensation. Pain, muscle wasting, itchiness or numbness are other symptoms linked to it. In cases like these, there may be nerve damage. This can be effects of trauma to the area, repeated stress, viral or bacterial infections, exposure to toxic material and systemic illness (i.e. diabetes).

This condition is termed peripheral neuropathy. It affects nerves that are far from the spinal cord and the brain. There are over 100 kinds of this condition. This may worsen has time passes and cause disability or decreased mobility. Many elderly people experience this throughout the world.

Should you be affected with prolonged tingling in hands and feet, consult a doctor as soon as possible to prevent long-term problems by controlling what causes it.

Causes of Tingling in the Hands and Feet

• Idiopathic or unknown reasons are a common occurrence.
• Diabetes is the systemic illness that is usually linked to peripheral neuropathy. It is responsible for roughly 30 percent of all reported cases. This is termed a diabetic neuropathy and the symptoms consist of tingling in hand and feet. It begins in the feet and spreads up to the arms. People with diabetes usually experience this symptom. It is considered one of the first signs of the systemic disease called diabetes.
• Vitamin deficiencies that is due to lack of vitamins B1, B6, B12, E and also niacin. Should a person be B12 deficient, this may lead to pernicious anemia. One must also remember that an excess of vitamin B6 can lead to tingling in hands and feet.
• Toxic materials can also cause the symptom to arise. Heavy metals like lead, mercury, arsenic and thallium are popular culprits.
• Alcoholics may be thiamin deficient due to abnormal dietary intake. This can cause peripheral neuropathy. Many scientists are trying to determine if too much alcohol can actually contribute to the problem. This is why they coined the term alcoholic neuropathy.
• Certain types of medicine can cause tingling in hands and feet. Chemotherapy agents, antibiotics and anti-viral drugs have been identified.
• Infectious illness can cause tingling of hands and feet. A few include Varicella zoster (shingles), Lyme disease, AIDS or HIV, herpes simplex, cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr disease.
• Inherited disorders like Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a plausible reason.
• A few autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and Guillain-Barre syndrome are common culprits.
• Injury that is related to trauma can compress the nerves. Crushed or damaged nerves can lead to tingling of hands and feet.

Tingling in Hands and Feet Diagnosis

Should you seek care for this type of symptom, the health care specialist will require a physical exam and interview you about your medical history. Tests will be taken to analyze possible causes. These include blood tests to rule out vitamin deficiencies, kidney or liver problems, abnormal immune functions and possible metabolic disorders.

If you seek care for your tingling hands or feet, your doctor will do a physical exam and take an extensive medical history addressing your symptoms, work environment, social habits (including alcohol use), toxic exposure, risk of HIV or other infectious diseases, and family history of neurological disease.

Cerebrospinal fluid will be collected to determine the presence of factors that can lead to peripheral neuropathy. NCV (nerve conduction velocity) and EMG (electromyogram) will be performed in most cases. The possibility for the need of an MRI and CT scan may be discussed.

Tingling in Hands and Feet Treatment

• An accurate diagnosis must be performed to determine how to effectively treat the underlying condition.
• Those with diabetes need to control their sugar intake to prevent progression towards diabetic neuropathy.
• Vitamin supplements are given to correct peripheral neuropathy in those individuals with vitamin deficiencies.
• A change in the general lifestyle of most patients is good enough to solve the problem. Eating proper food and maintaining a balanced diet is recommended. Limiting vices like smoking and alcohol are commonly advised.