When your thumb feels numb, beware of four diseases

As the saying goes, the fingers are connected to the heart. If there are certain problems with your body, there will be certain reactions in your fingers. For example, many people have numbness in the thumbs. This symptom is mostly caused by radiculopathy, carpal tunnel syndrome, rheumatism, and heart and kidney diseases. If these diseases occur, you must be vigilant and not let them develop and worsen!

1. Cervical spondylotic radiculopathy

Symptom identification: In addition to numbness and pain in the fingers, the patient also has pain in the neck, neck, back, head, and upper limbs, which manifests as numbness and swelling on the radial or ulnar side, or all five fingers, and may also be accompanied by decreased grip strength. The pain is usually dull, sore, burning, or a dull pain, or an electric shock-like pain. Numbness is often in the same area as pain, and the two often go together, but numbness often occurs in the fingers and forearms. The fingers and forearms have decreased sensation, and a few have areas of sensory hypersensitivity, which is often caused by irritation of the diseased segment.

Radiculopathy of cervical spondylosis is caused by hyperplasia of the cervical intervertebral disc, cervical uncovertebral joint or articular process joint, and hypertrophic bone spurs protruding laterally, which stimulate or compress the nerve roots at the corresponding level. It is recommended to perform an MRI examination of the cervical spine to determine the location of the lesion.

2. Carpal tunnel syndrome

Symptom differentiation: The patient has numbness or tingling in 3.5 fingers on the rubbed side, which is aggravated at night and wakes up from sleep due to pain. The pain worsens when the temperature is high and is relieved by movement or shaking the hand. In cold seasons, the affected fingers become cold and cyanotic, and the fingers are not flexible, and the thumb abduction muscle strength is poor. In severe cases, the thenar and hypothenar muscles on the affected side atrophy.

Carpal tunnel syndrome, also known as carpal tunnel stenosis, refers to a disease characterized by thickening of the transverse carpal ligament, swelling of the muscles within the canal, tissue degeneration caused by blood stasis, or degeneration and hyperplasia of the carpal bones due to wrist trauma, fracture, dislocation, sprain or wrist strain, which compresses the median nerve and causes numbness and weakness in the fingers. This disease is common in people who engage in occupational carrying, lifting, twisting, pinching, etc. Numbness and swelling in the fingers are one of the symptoms, but it is often accompanied by numbness in the arms and other parts of the body.

3. Rheumatism

Symptom differentiation: The patient sometimes has cyanosis of the limbs in winter (when the weather is cold), and the rheumatoid factor is positive (quantitative examination is recommended) and low-dose hormone treatment is effective. This cannot be fully explained by cervical spondylosis, and one should be alert to the possibility of rheumatic autoimmune disease.

It is recommended that he go to a local large hospital for tests on erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, ANCA, ANA, anti-CCP antibodies and anti-keratin antibodies, and, if necessary, undergo neuroelectromyography. If cervical spondylosis can be clearly diagnosed by cervical MRI, cervical traction treatment can be performed, supplemented by physical therapy and cervical rehabilitation exercises. Maintain correct sitting and sleeping positions, and do not take medication indiscriminately.

4. Cardiorenal diseases

Symptom identification: Swelling of fingers caused by cardiovascular and kidney diseases is usually accompanied by swelling of the face or legs. Numbness and swelling of the fingers is one of the early symptoms, and this is more likely if accompanied by swollen and painful joints. If the skin on the face and fingers becomes hard, it may be scleroderma.