*For medical professionals only
Not necessarily a pot with the wrong sleeping position.
I went to see my grandmother last weekend. During the meal, the old man accidentally said, “I haven’t slept very well recently. My hands are always numb, I don’t know what’s going on, and then I wake up.”
I heard a jolt and asked, “How long?”
“About a week.” Grandma tapped her left arm with her right hand while watching TV.
“Stop knocking.” I became anxious and raised my voice, “Why don’t you go to the doctor for a week in a row? What’s the use of burning incense and praying to Buddha every day!”
“…No one accompanies me to see it again. Also, I thought it was because the sleeping position was not set up properly, which compressed the nerves, and wanted to observe again.” Grandma was obviously frightened by me.
“You’re going to have a stroke!!”
I was unaware of my attitude and tone, thinking of my grandmother’s decades-long history of heart disease, and the worst was already in my head.
The old man froze for a while, and after a while, he began to babble, “Oh, what should I do? The stroke is terrible, and it becomes a vegetative state, and I am paralyzed on the bed asking for someone to serve, after that what? Just die…”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry.” I finally realized that I was talking too much. “Let’s do a test first and then look at it.”
Without delay, the two went straight to the hospital after a good meal. Fortunately, according to the results of the MRI, the doctor diagnosed as “transient ischemic attack”, and the current blood vessel blockage is not serious, so he went home after prescribed medicine.
Through this incident, I deeply felt that although we are studying medicine, we still need to be vigilant about the minor symptoms of our loved ones around us.
So speaking of this, what are the causes of numbness in the hands when sleeping? What diseases might suggest? Let’s take a look-
First, poor posture is really a big cause. Putting pressure on the nerves of the limbs for a long time through a certain posture will cause postural paresthesias, but this numbness will disappear after changing the posture. If this phenomenon occurs for a long time, attention should be paid.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is more common, especially in women between the ages of 30 and 50, and is caused by compression of the median nerve, mainly on the volar side of the wrist, where the wrist is located. Manifested as numbness, tingling, and pain in the palmar skin of thumb, index, and middle finger. Sometimes the whole hand is affected. Occasionally, there is also a burning and tingling sensation in the arm.
Some occupations that require repetitive wrist stretches (such as screwdrivers) increase the risk. Another potential pathogenic factor is the incorrect posture when using the computer keyboard, especially for white-collar workers who have been in the office for a long time. In order to avoid strain, the wrist should be kept in a neutral position, and the keyboard can be placed in a relatively low position. Make the hand lower than the elbow joint, you can also put a cushion under the wrist joint for support.
Cervical radiculopathy
This is a common disease among middle-aged and elderly people, and there is a trend of younger people in recent years. Due to long-term sedentary inactivity, abnormal neck posture, especially the use of computers and mobile phones for a long time, the cervical intervertebral disc and bone spurs protrude to the back and outside of the cervical vertebrae, stimulating or compressing the corresponding spinal nerve roots, especially the lower cervical vertebrae, that is, the 4th to 7th cervical vertebrae. Sections are common.
Pain is the main symptom, and its nature is drilling pain or knife-like pain, it can also be persistent dull pain or soreness, or it can radiate to different parts. Some patients have numbness in the fingers of the affected side, and the symptoms worsen at night. It may also cause muscle atrophy and weakness of the upper limbs due to motor nerve damage, poor hand movement, and inability to hold objects and easily fall off.
Transient ischemic attack
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a brain dysfunction caused by a temporary interruption of blood flow to the brain, usually with complete recovery within 1 hour. A blood clot (thrombus) or fatty material (hardening or plaque) enters the bloodstream as a result of the rupture of atherosclerotic plaque in the walls of the heart or arteries (usually in the neck), becomes an embolus, and remains in the brain supplying blood arteries, causing most TIAs.
Common symptoms include amaurosis fragility, hemiplegia, aphasia, hemisensory disturbance (numbness), dizziness, ataxia, and rarely loss of consciousness. If you have the above symptoms, you should go to the hospital in time.Screen for risk factors of cerebrovascular disease, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, atrial fibrillation, etc., and give active prevention and treatment. Once the duration of neurological symptoms is greater than 24 hours, it is a cerebrovascular accident, which is often referred to as a stroke.
diabetic neuropathy
Diabetic neuropathy is a complication of diabetes, nerve and tissue damage caused by long-term elevated blood sugar, including peripheral symmetrical neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy, etc.
In the hands, tingling, pain, and numbness in the fingers and hands may occur. A small number of patients may also have muscle weakness and atrophy. Neuropathy can also occur in other parts of the body, such as the fundus of the eyes and the feet, and severe cases require amputation. The complications of diabetes are progressive, so after suffering from diabetes, regular and reasonable treatment must be carried out to control blood sugar to the normal range.
In addition, there are other pathological causes of hand numbness including:
Autoimmune disease
Bone marrow disorders
Infections, including Lyme disease and HIV
Tumors compressing certain nerves
Multiple sclerosis
Vitamin B deficiency
From the above, it can be found that there are many diseases that can explain the numbness of the hands. It cannot be simply taken away by poor sleeping posture. If this situation is found for a long time, the real cause can be solved to solve the fundamental problem.
Finally, what I want to share with you is that as a medical worker, you face a large number of patients with a smile every day, but you ignore your loved ones, friends, and even fight your elders once a month. Telephone. Tiredness and hard work are no excuses. Instead of regretting it later, it is better to care and warm your dearest people more now!
Text first: Medical Neurology Channel
The author of this article: Meow One Meow
Review Expert: Li Tuming, Deputy Chief Physician
Editor in charge: Yuan Xueqing, Zhang Li
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