Dr. Huntley's
Diagnosis
Checklist

Have a symptom?
See what questions
a doctor would ask.
 
Symptoms » Hand numbness
 

Hand numbness

Hand numbness: Introduction

Numbness usually arises from damage or disease of nerves. Numbness is often associated with or preceded by abnormal pain-like sensations often described as pins-and-needles, prickling or burning sensations called paresthesias; see hand paresthesias. Any numbness or abnormal sensations need prompt professional medical advice....more »

» Review Causes of Hand numbness: full list

Causes of Hand numbness

See all 37 causes of Hand numbness

Home Diagnostic Testing and Hand numbness

Home medical tests possibly related to Hand numbness:

Causes of Types of Hand numbness:

Review the causes of these more specific types of Hand numbness:

See full list of 3 types for Hand numbness

Hand numbness: Symptom Checker

Listed below are some combinations of symptoms associated with Hand numbness, as listed in our database. Visit the Symptom Checker, to add and remove symptoms and research your condition.

Symptom Checker

Symptom Checker

See full list of 2277 Symptom Checker combinations related to Hand numbness

Hand numbness Treatments

Review further information on Hand numbness Treatments.

Videos for Hand numbness

Diabetes on Your Nerves

Diabetes on Your NervesAlmost half of all people with diabetes experience some form of nerve damage, which can develop into a complication known as peripheral neuropathy....

Treating Neuropathy

Treating NeuropathyTreating nerve damage from diabetes requires a two-pronged approach: controlling blood sugar and alleviating the pain caused by peripheral...

 

Your Rights as a Patient

Your Rights as a PatientWhenever you go to a hospital or clinic for a major procedure or diagnostic test, one of the many forms you are given to sign is an "informed...

Protecting from Infection

Protecting from InfectionGerms are a fact of life and catching an infectious disease like a cold may seem inevitable. But there are simple ways to protect yourself against...

 
See full list of 4 related videos

Stories from Users for Hand numbness

Real-life user stories relating to Hand numbness:

Message Boards for Hand numbness

Symptom specific forums: The following patient stories in our interactive forums and message boards relate to Hand numbness or relevant symptoms:

Diagnostic tests for Hand numbness:

Various tests are used in the diagnosis of Hand numbness. Some of these are listed below :

  • General appearance - abnormal posture, muscle wasting, abnormal arm movements.
  • Physical examination
    • May be necessary to examine a variety of joints including the cervical spine, shoulder, elbow , wrists and the various joints of the hand
    • Test muscle tone, power, reflexes and co-ordination of upper limbs
  • more tests...»

See full list of 25 diagnostic tests for Hand numbness

Hand numbness: Animations

More Hand numbness animations & videos

Medications or substances causing Hand numbness:

The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible causes of Hand numbness as a symptom. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

See full list of 29 medications causing Hand numbness

Drug interactions causing Hand numbness:

When combined, certain drugs, medications, substances or toxins may react causing Hand numbness as a symptom. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

  • Thalidomide and chloramphenicol interaction
  • Thalomid and chloramphenicol interaction
  • Thalidomide and cisplatin interaction
  • Thalomid and cisplatin interaction
  • Thalidomide and dapsone interaction
  • more interactions...»

See full list of 32 drug interactions causing Hand numbness

Hand numbness: Comorbid Symptoms

Some of the comorbid or associated medical symptoms for Hand numbness may include these symptoms:

All associated co-morbid symptoms for Hand numbness

Causes of General Symptom Types

Research the causes of these more general types of symptom:

Research the causes of related medical symptoms such as:

Causes of Similar Symptoms to Hand numbness

Research the causes of these symptoms that are similar to, or related to, the symptom Hand numbness:

Diagnosis Checklist: Questions your doctor may ask (and why!)

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in their assessment of Hand numbness. Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information you can share with your doctor about your symptoms may help them with their diagnosis. Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:

  1. How long have you noticed numbness in your hand?

    Why: to establish if acute or chronic.

  2. What areas of the hand are affected by the numbness?

    Why: can help determine which nerves are affected e.g. carpal tunnel syndrome causes numbness of the pulps of the thumb, index, middle and half of the ring finger; peripheral neuropathy typically causes a glove and stocking sensory loss to hands and feet; C8 spinal cord or nerve root lesion causes numbness of the little finger; C7 spinal cord or nerve root lesion cause numbness of the middle finger; C6 spinal cord or nerve root lesion causes numbness of the outer side of the forearm and thumb.

  3. Are both hands affected and is it symmetrical?- helps determine which nerves are affected e.g. peripheral neuropathy is symmetrical compared with individual nerve or nerve root disease which should be suspected if sensory loss is asymmetrical or confined to one limb
  4. Is the arm also affected by the numbness?

    Why: helps to determine which nerves may be affected.

  5. Is there a time of day when hand numbness is worse?

    Why: can help determine the cause of hand numbness e.g. carpal tunnel syndrome is usually worse at night.

  6. more questions...»

See Diagnosis Checklist for Hand numbness (23 listings)

Diagnosis Checklist: Associated symptoms your doctor may ask about (and why!)

Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse your condition. The symptoms your doctor may ask about (in association with Hand numbness) may include:

  1. Arm or hand pain?

    Why: if also pain in the involved extremity this usually suggests herniated cervical disc , spinal cord tumor or cervical spondylosis. Other conditions to consider are brachial plexus neuropathy, thoracic outlet syndrome, cervical rib, Pancoast's tumor, Raynaud's disease, sympathetic dystrophy or various entrapment syndromes such as carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar nerve entrapment at the elbow.

  2. Arm or hand weakness?

    Why: may suggest a type of brachial plexus; compression of the C8 segment by cervical spondylosis or a disc herniation, median or ulnar nerve lesions; diabetes mellitus causing a peripheral neuropathy.

  3. Neck pain?

    Why: may suggest a cervical spinal cord or nerve root lesion due to cervical spondylosis (degeneration) or herniated cervical disc.

  4. Are there any other areas of the body which are numb?

    Why: e.g. numbness of the face may suggest a diagnosis of cerebrovascular disease, a mass in the brain, migraine or multiple sclerosis.

  5. Headaches?

    Why: may suggest migraine or mass in brain.

  6. more symptoms...»

See Diagnosis Checklist for Hand numbness (23 listings)

Misdiagnosis and Hand numbness

Rare neurological disorder misdiagnosed as anxiety condition: Posterolateral sclerosis is an uncommon neurological disorder that can be misdiagnosed as an ...read more »

Undiagnosed stroke leads to misdiagnosed aphasia: BBC News UK reported on a man who had been institutionalized and treated for mental illness because he suffered from sudden inability to speak. This was initially misdiagnosed as a "nervous breakdown" and other mental...read more »

Dementia may be a drug interaction: A common scenario in aged care is for a patient to show mental decline to dementia. Whereas this can, of course, occur due to various medical conditions, such as...read more »

Leg cramps at night a classic sign: The symptom of having leg muscle cramps, particularly at night, is a classic sign of undiagnosed diabetes....read more »

Mild traumatic brain injury often remains undiagnosed: Although the symptoms of severe brain injury are hard to miss, it is less clear for milder injuries, or even those causing a mild concussion...read more »

MTBI misdiagnosed as balance problem: When a person has symptoms such as vertigo or dizziness, a diagnosis of brain injury may go overlooked. This is particularly true of mild traumatic...read more »

Psoriasis often undiagnosed cause of skin symptoms in children: Children who suffer from the skin disorder called psoriasis can often go undiagnosed. The main problem is that psoriasis...read more »

Brain pressure condition often misdiagnosed as dementia: A condition that results from an excessive pressure of CSF within the brain is often misdiagnosed. It may be misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease or dementia...read more »

Post-concussive brain injury often misdiagnosed: A study found that soldiers who had suffered a concussive injury in battle often were misdiagnosed...read more »

Children with migraine often misdiagnosed: A migraine often fails to be correctly diagnosed in pediatric patients. These patients are not the typical migraine sufferers, but migraines can also occur in children. See misdiagnosis of migraine or introduction to migraine....read more »

Vitamin B12 deficiency under-diagnosed: The condition of Vitamin B12 deficiency is a possible misdiagnosis of various conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (see symptoms of multiple...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Hand numbness

Diagnostic Guides for Hand numbness

Medical Books Excerpts Read excertps from published book sections related to Hand numbness from the following published medical books for more detailed information about Hand numbness. Free access (no registration): read all online diagnostic book sections about Hand numbness

Medical Books Excerpts
  • Paresthesia
  • "Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition)" (2006)
  • Paresthesia
  • "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)" (2006)
  • Paresthesia
  • "Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses" (2007)
 

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Hand numbness: Research Related Doctors & Specialists

Other ways to find a doctor, or use doctor, physician and specialist online research services:

Hand numbness: Related Rare Diseases

Rare types of medical conditions and diseases in related medical categories:

Hand numbness: Self Assessment Tools

Hand numbness: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers

Products, offers and promotion categories available related to Hand numbness:

Hand numbness: Undiagnosed Conditions

Conditions that are commonly undiagnosed in related areas may include:

Patient Surveys for Hand numbness

Organs affected by Hand numbness:

The list of organs typically affected by Hand numbness may include, but is not limited to:

Detailed list of causes of Hand numbness

The list below shows some of the causes of Hand numbness mentioned in various sources:

See full list of 37 causes of Hand numbness

How Common are these Causes of Hand numbness?

This information refers to the general prevalence and incidence of these diseases, not to how likely they are to be the actual cause of Hand numbness. Of the 37 causes of Hand numbness that we have listed, we have the following prevalence/incidence information:

  • 3 causes are "very common" diseases
  • 1 causes are "common" diseases
  • 2 causes are "uncommon" diseases
  • 0 causes are "rare" diseases
  • 1 causes are "very rare" diseases
  • 35 causes have no prevalence information.

See the analysis of the prevalence of 37 causes of Hand numbness

Conditions listing symptoms: Hand numbness:

The following list of conditions have 'Hand numbness' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

A

B

C

D

E

G

H

K

L

O

P

R

S

T

W

Conditions listing complications: Hand numbness:

The following list of conditions have 'Hand numbness' or similar listed as a complication in our database. The distinction between a symptom and complication is not always clear, and conditions mentioning this symptom as a complication may also be relevant. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

D

T

Join in at the forums

Ask or answer a question about symptoms or diseases at one of our free interactive user forums.

Medical story forums: If you have a medical story then we want to hear it.

See a list of all the medical forums

Causes of Hand numbness Based on Risk Factors

This information shows analysis of the list of causes of Hand numbness based on whether certain risk factors apply to the patient:

  • Diabetes - history of diabetes or family history of diabetes?

    Doctors and specialists: Who should I consult about Hand numbness?

    Depending on the seriousness of the onset of Hand numbness, you may want to consult one of the following medical professionals.

    Important:In extreme cases, always seek advice from emergency services :

    Classifications of Hand numbness:

    Subtypes of Hand numbness:

    Finger numbness (16 causes)

    Medical Conditions associated with Hand numbness:

    Hand symptoms (1927 causes), Numbness (413 causes), Arm numbness (63 causes), Pain (5963 causes), Sensations (6091 causes), Nerve symptoms (8848 causes), Arm symptoms (1525 causes), Skin symptoms (5718 causes), Sensory symptoms (6628 causes), Neurological symptoms (9194 causes), Limb symptoms (3357 causes), Brain symptoms (2165 causes), Skin problems (3429 causes), Common symptoms (7994 causes), Body symptoms (4926 causes), Head symptoms (9526 causes), Leg symptoms (2572 causes)

    Symptoms related to Hand numbness:

    Hand paresthesia (44 causes), Hand burning, Diabetes (148 causes), Peripheral artery disease, Peripheral neuropathy (83 causes), Peripheral nerve trauma, Peripheral nerve compression, Cold Compartment syndrome

    Medical articles on signs and symptoms:

    Doctor-patient articles related to symptoms and diagnosis:

    These general medical articles may be of interest:

    See full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis

    Medical News summaries about Hand numbness

    Our news pages contain the following medical news summaries about Hand numbness and many other medical conditions:

    Evidence Based Medicine Research for Hand numbness

    Medical research papers related to Hand numbness include:

    Research More Evidence-Based Medicine at TripDatabase.com

    More Ways To Research Medical Signs and Symptoms:


     » Next page: Causes of Hand numbness

    Rate This Website

    What do you think about the features of this website? Take our user survey and have your say:

    Website User Survey

    Medical Tools & Articles:

    Next articles:

    Tools & Services:

    Medical Articles:

    Forums & Message Boards

  •  
    HONcode We subscribe to the HONcode principles

    By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use. Information provided on this site is for informational purposes only; it is not intended as a substitute for advice from your own medical team. The information on this site is not to be used for diagnosing or treating any health concerns you may have - please contact your physician or health care professional for all your medical needs. Please see our Terms of Use.

    Home | Symptoms | Diseases | Diagnosis | Videos | Tools | Forum | About Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Site Map | Advertise