What To Do If The Fingers Of The Right Hand Are Numb

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

What to do if the fingers of the right hand are numb

Numbness of the fingers of the right hand most often occurs when there is a violation of the blood supply to the hands and problems with the spine. This symptom is also included in the clinical picture of many diseases that can lead to very serious consequences, such as amputation of a limb or death.

Treatment for numbness of the fingers of the right hand is prescribed according to the results of the diagnosis. The set of factors causing hypesthesia can be roughly divided into six main groups:

• Injuries;
• Spine pathology;
• Inflammation of the joints;
• Circulatory disorders;
• Nervous system damage;
• Diseases of endocrine origin.

Causes of numbness in the fingers of the right hand

The reasons for the numbness of the fingers of the right hand can be partly determined by which fingers are numb. For example, if hypesthesia occurs in the index or middle finger, then this may be due to injury or inflammation of the elbow joint, and numbness in the ring or little finger is likely to indicate a violation of the cardiovascular system. In any case, if numbness, tingling or pain in the fingers appears, then it is necessary to consult a neurologist and establish an accurate diagnosis in order to avoid complications.

Injuries, such as bruises, sprains, or fractures, can cause numbness in the fingers of the right hand. Excessive tension in the muscles of the neck and collar region also leads to numbness, for example, due to improper position of the head and neck while working at the table or from an uncomfortable posture while sleeping.

The following diseases require systematic treatment:

• Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine;
• Herniated disc;
• Rheumatoid arthritis;
• Violation of blood circulation in the hand;
• Upper limb thrombosis;
• Ischemic stroke of the intervertebral artery;
• Blockage of blood vessels in the brain;
• Carpal tunnel syndrome;
• Raynaud's disease.

Numbness of the fingers of the right hand with osteochondrosis

Numbness of the fingers of the right hand can be observed with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, protrusion and intervertebral hernia.

Degenerative-dystrophic changes in the spine are characterized by a decrease in the intervertebral discs and a loss of elasticity of the annulus fibrosus. This leads to the so-called radicular syndrome. Most often, when the roots are pinched, the pain radiates from the neck along the shoulder blades and the radial surface of the forearm to the hand. The localization of pain and numbness of the fingertips, both of the right hand and the left, directly depends on which root is subject to compression:

• C6 - in the thumb;
• C7 - index, middle and nameless;
• C8 - in the little finger.

Hypesthesia is also possible in the absence of physiological changes in the cervical spine, for example, when the body is forced to position for a long time.

With osteochondrosis, fingers become numb most often on one hand. Treatment consists of eliminating inflammation and edema, but sometimes surgery is required.

Numbness of the fingers with rheumatoid arthritis

Numbness of the fingertips, both right and left, can be accompanied by rheumatoid arthritis. This disease is characterized by the defeat of several joints of the hand at the same time, like polyarthritis. In this case, the wrist joints, as well as the small interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joints, are affected symmetrically.

The main symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in the affected area are:

• Persistent violation of flexion-extension (contracture);
• Fusiform and S-shaped deformity of the joints;
• Bony growths between the phalanges;
• Muscle atrophy;
• Local temperature rise;
• Redness and swelling
• Numbness in the fingers of the right hand at night;
• Morning stiffness of movements;
• It's a dull pain.

Deterioration of well-being in the form of weakness, weight loss and periodic fever in rheumatoid arthritis accompanies the development of articular syndrome. Over time, pathological changes affect the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, the gastrointestinal tract and the kidneys.

Numbness in the fingers due to poor circulation

Numbness of the fingers of the right hand can occur as a result of a variety of circulatory disorders, in particular with such diseases:

• Upper limb thrombosis;
• Blockage of blood vessels in the brain;
• Ischemic stroke of the intervertebral artery.

If, after hypesthesia, increasing pain appears in the hand, then this may indicate a clogging of large arteries with a thrombus. Interruption of normal blood supply without treatment is fraught with the development of necrosis and loss of a limb.

If there is numbness in the fingers of the right hand and foot, as well as weakness, nausea and headaches, then this may be a sign of a left-sided ischemic stroke. It develops within a few days, which makes it possible to recognize it in time and prevent paralysis of the right side of the body.

Blockage of the vertebral artery with sufficient collateral circulation may be asymptomatic, but in some cases it causes a massive infarction in the medulla oblongata and cerebellum.

Numbness of the fingers of the right hand with malfunctions of the nervous system

Some nervous system lesions can be characterized by numbness in the fingers of the right hand. Hypesthesia occurs with carpal tunnel syndrome and Raynaud's disease.

Carpal tunnel syndrome affects the functioning of the hand and wrist. When the median nerve is pinched in the carpal tunnel, pain occurs at the innervation sites. Numbness of the fingers of the right hand is characteristic at night and in the early morning. The pain can radiate down the arm to the shoulder and neck. Over time, the flexor muscles of the fingers weaken and atrophy, resulting in almost complete disability of the limb.

Raynaud's disease is based on a violation of the nervous regulation of vascular tone, as a result of which small blood vessels narrow in response to external stimuli, for example, to cold. The first attack of the disease can be triggered by previous infections, as well as overwork or hypothermia. Raynaud's disease can also be a complication of brain injury or severe psycho-emotional distress. The disease has three stages:

• 

  Angiospastic;

• Angioparalytic;
• Trophoparalytic.

At the first stage, at which the development of the disease often ends, under the influence of cold or stress, the skin becomes cold, whitens, and then turns blue due to a violation of trophism. After a few minutes, the blood supply is restored and the symptoms disappear. After an attack, paresthesia or numbness of the fingertips of the right hand appears. With symmetrical lesions, indicating a neurological origin of the disease, symptoms are observed on both hands.

Further development is characterized by an increase in the duration of attacks, increased pain and swelling. Subsequently, deep tissue malnutrition causes ulcers, necrosis and gangrene. Often, all three stages can affect the adjacent fingers of one hand.

Whatever the etiology of numbness in the fingers of the right hand, treatment of the underlying cause must be started as soon as possible, since some diseases have very serious consequences.

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