What's wrong with my swollen arm

Swelling in the arms should be taken seriously, as the upper limbs are the parts we use most frequently, and swelling is related to excessive fatigue. At the same time, many diseases also present with swollen arms, which means that swollen arms may be a symptom of a certain disease and needs to be combined with other abnormalities to be diagnosed. So, what causes swollen arms? What are the causes?

1. Overview of arm swelling and pain

Many people suffer from swollen and painful arms. The causes of swollen and painful arms include trauma, muscle strain, nerve damage, etc. It is often caused by excessive fatigue, which causes muscle strain in the human body, resulting in obvious arm swelling, accompanied by pain, affecting normal life. But swollen and painful arms are also signs of some diseases. We need to pay attention to the following common causes and seek medical attention in time.

2. The most common causes of numbness and pain in the hands are as follows:

1. Transient cerebral ischemia. The elderly often suffer from high blood pressure and high blood lipids. High blood pressure can cause vascular spasm, and high blood lipids can cause vascular sclerosis. In addition, the blood viscosity of the elderly increases and blood flow is slow during sleep. These factors can lead to transient cerebral ischemia and numbness of the hands. Therefore, the elderly should check their blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood rheology tests regularly. If they have high blood pressure or high blood lipids, they should receive treatment. Drink more water and take some medicine to reduce blood viscosity, prevent thrombosis, improve blood supply to the brain, and the numbness in your hands will disappear.

2. Cervical spondylosis: Cervical spondylosis is a common disease among middle-aged and elderly people. It is caused by compression of local blood vessels and nerve tissues in the cervical spine due to cervical bone hyperplasia, intervertebral disc degeneration or relaxation of local joint ligaments. Its symptoms vary, and numbness of the hands is one of them. If you suffer from cervical spondylosis, you can diagnose it with a cervical spine X-ray. Treatment measures include physical therapy, traction and the use of blood-activating and blood-stasis-removing drugs. In normal times, you can do some slow neck exercises, and pay attention to the height of the pillow when sleeping. Generally, 7-9 cm high is appropriate, not too high or too low, and the hardness should be moderate. The sleeping posture should be correct to avoid compression of local blood vessels and nerve tissues in the cervical spine and numbness of the hands.

3. Diabetes: Diabetes can cause many complications, diabetic peripheral neuropathy is one of them. Once this complication occurs, there will be symptoms such as numbness and abnormal sensation in the limbs. If you suffer from diabetes, you must receive regular and reasonable treatment, control your blood sugar to a normal range, and pay attention to supplementing vitamins B1, B6, and vitamin C. You can also use ginkgo leaf preparations, ligustrazine and other drugs, and the numbness of the limbs will be eliminated.

4. Peripheral neuritis: If the digestion and absorption function is poor and malnutrition is present for a long time, it will cause vitamin B1 deficiency and lead to peripheral neuritis, which will also cause numbness in the hands. At this time, just pay attention to increasing some nutrition and supplement more vitamin B1.

5. Compression of the brachial nerve: If the sleeping posture is incorrect, the neck is tilted or the arm is under pressure, the hand will become numb due to compression of the brachial nerve. At this time, just change your sleeping posture and move your arms, and the numbness will be eliminated.

6. Overdose: Overdose of certain drugs, such as gentamicin, can cause side effects such as numbness in the lips and limbs. Be careful to avoid overdose.

How to treat arm swelling and pain

Due to the increase in circulation volume in the body and poor venous blood return, numbness in the hands and swelling of the fingers may occur. The countermeasures that should be taken are to eat a low-salt diet; move your fingers frequently; get adequate rest, stay in bed more often, and do more exercises such as bending and straightening your fingers (i.e. making fists); eat more foods containing vitamin B1, such as nuts, whole-wheat cereals, green leafy vegetables, etc.