My hands go to sleep: what could it be? 9 possible causes

Paresthesia is the sensation of tingling or other abnormality (tingling, numbness ...) in some part of the body. This can occur on the hands, for example.

This is something quite common. But why does it happen? Is it something serious? It depends on the case.

In this article We will know nine possible causes that explain the numbness of the hands; As we will see, sometimes there is an underlying disease that explains it.

My hands go to sleep: what could it be?

A) Yes, numbness or tingling or tingling in the hands (paresthesia) is a very common symptom. Normally it is something momentary and does not have much importance, although we will have to analyze in each case what possible causes originate this symptom (since it is sometimes a warning symptom of certain diseases).

Paresthesia in the hands appears due to an alteration in our sensitivity "due to excess"; that is, we experience an abnormal sensation in a certain area of ​​the body, without any stimulus that causes or explains it.

Paresthesia may appear in the context of an underlying medical condition (as a cause or consequence of it) or in isolation (in healthy people, who have simply held a posture for a long time, or other situations).

We are going to see nine possible causes that could explain what the feeling of numbness in the hands is due to.

1. Stay in the same posture

A very common cause that explains numbness in the hands is maintaining the same posture for a long time.

2. Having slept with your hand "tight" on the pillow

Another possible cause of numbness in the hands is having slept with the hand under the pillow or between the legs, so that it was trapped. It can be in a daytime nap or at night.

3. Nutritional deficit

A nutritional deficit could also explain the feeling of numbness in our hands. Thus, this lack of certain nutrients could be the cause (for example, deficiencies in vitamin B, vitamin B12, folic acid, etc.).

4. Compressed nerve

If a nerve in the hand or arm has been compressed, we can also experience this numbness in it. There are different nerves that, when compressed, cause this numbness. Depending on the area, it will be one pathology or another. Let's see the different possibilities:

4.1. Carpal tunnel syndrome

This syndrome occurs when the median nerve in the wrist becomes trapped. Specifically, the carpal tunnel is a canal that runs from the palm of the hand to the bones of the wrist; the tendons pass through it (so that we flex the fingers) and the median nerve.

When this syndrome appears, other accompanying symptoms appear, beyond the numbness of the hand (or hands), such as: weakness of the wrist, Difficulty performing certain movements or grasping objects, as well as pain in the wrist and forearm (this pain may also increase during night).

4.2. Herniated disc

We can also suffer from a herniated disc. To understand what it is, let's imagine our spine; Between each of its vertebrae we find a disc that protects them and acts as a shock absorber.

When the nucleus of some of these discs comes out (due to wear, injury, etc.), what we call a herniated disc occurs. If the herniated disc occurs in the cervicals, numbness (or tingling) may appear in the hands.

4.3. Guyon canal syndrome

Another syndrome that could cause a compressed nerve is Guyon's canal syndrome, which could also be the cause of our hands numbness. In this case, compression of the nerve occurs in the elbow area (in a nerve called the ulnar)

This syndrome also appears accompanied by other symptoms, such as: pain in the elbow area (which can extend to the hand), muscle weakness in the hand, difficulties to perform the gesture of the "pincer" with the fingers, difficulties to flex the fingers and the so-called claw hand (which is when the fingers remain bent and cannot be to stretch).

5. Endocrine disease

The numbness or tingling sensation in the hands may also be indicating the possibility of suffering from an endocrine disease. Endocrine diseases have to do with the hormonal levels of our body. We are going to see the two most common endocrine diseases that could be the cause of this abnormal sensation in the hands:

5.1. Diabetes

People with diabetes are more likely to have some type of nerve damage (especially when glycemic control is impaired or disrupted). The nerves influence the sensitivity of the extremities, which is why diabetic people they may more often experience numbness in their hands (or tingling, tingling, etc.).

Thus, although these damages tend to affect especially the lower extremities, they can also appear in the upper extremities. Specifically, it is called diabetic neuropathy, a type of damage that originates in the nerves as a result of diabetes. This affectation is suffered by about 50% of patients with diabetes (after 20 years with the disease).

5.2. Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is another endocrine disease that could also be the cause of numbness in the hands. This numbness can also affect the arms. In this way, hypothyroidism can lead to damage to nerve endings.

But what is hypothyroidism? It is an alteration in the secretion of thyroid hormone (related to the stress); that is to say, the thyroid gland, in charge of secreting it, produces it in amounts lower than normal.

Hypothyroidism affects the body's normal metabolism and can also cause depressive symptoms, excessive tiredness, difficulty concentrating, feeling cold, increased weight, etc.

6. Circulatory or cardiovascular disorders

Another cause that can underlie numbness in the hands is circulatory or cardiovascular disease. Normally, when there is an alteration, problem or basic circulatory disease, the symptom of numbness in the hands is accompanied by others such as changes in the color of our skin.

Thus, in this case, the sensation of numbness in the hands is caused by an alteration in the blood supply of our vessels, which contract or dilate in an altered or unusual way.

On the other hand, when the cause is a problem or cardiovascular disease, the explanation is that a correct flow does not occur blood in certain areas of the body (such as the hands), due to the accumulation of plaques in the arteries (atherosclerosis).

Bibliographic references

• Brenta, G. (2006). Hypothyroidism and the cardiovascular system. Rev Fed Arg Cardiol.

• Olmos, P., Niklitschek, S., Olmos, R., Faúndez, J., Quezada, T., Bozinovic, M., Niklitschek, I., Acosta, J., Valencia, C. and Bravo, F. (2012). Pathophysiological bases for a classification of diabetic neuropathy. Medical Journal of Chile, 140 (2): 1593-1605.

• Portillo, R., Salazar, M. and Huertas, M.A. (2004). Carpal tunnel syndrome. Clinical and neurophysiological correlation. Annals of the Faculty of Medicine, 65 (4).