Why does my left hand feel numb?

When symptoms such as numbness in the left hand occur, do not blindly define them, and do not use some folk remedies or medicines indiscriminately. You must clarify the cause before you can solve the problem. The most common ones are cervical spondylosis, arteriosclerosis, and nutritional deficiencies, which may all manifest these symptoms.

1. Upper limb nerve compression

One is numbness and pain in the thumb, index and middle fingers, often with a history of waking up from numbness at night, which improves after waking up and moving around. Sometimes the numbness in the hands can be aggravated when raising your hand to hold a phone, comb your hair or pick up a newspaper. When the symptoms worsen, fine motor skills will be limited, such as difficulty holding coins, buttoning, and hand inflexibility when knitting. This is because the median nerve is compressed in the wrist, the so-called "carpal tunnel syndrome"; the second is numbness and pain in the ring finger and little finger, and there may also be a history of waking up from numbness at night. Severe cases are accompanied by muscle atrophy, and the flexion strength of the ring finger and little finger is reduced, affecting fine motor skills. Symptoms include hand weakness, decreased grip strength, clumsy hand movements, and inability to grasp objects tightly, and the symptoms often worsen when the elbow is flexed. This is because the nerve becomes pinched at the elbow, a condition known as "cubital tunnel syndrome."

2. Cervical spondylosis

It is more common in middle-aged and elderly people, especially those who have incorrect posture for a long time, who are prone to degenerative changes in the cervical spine or intervertebral disc lesions, forming marginal bone hyperplasia (commonly known as bone spurs), accompanied by cervical muscle strain or spasm. This causes compression of the vertebral arteries and cervical nerve roots, resulting in insufficient blood supply to the head and limbs, limb muscle atrophy and weakening of muscle strength, leading to transient vertigo and numbness in the hands and legs.

3. Arteriosclerosis

It is more common in the elderly, with cerebral arteriosclerosis and internal carotid artery sclerosis and stenosis. There is insufficient blood supply to the brain, functional disorders of the sensory and motor centers, numbness of one upper or lower limb or half of the body, fatigue, and temporary headache or dizziness. The disease progresses and worsens, leading to sudden ischemic stroke, difficulty speaking and paralysis. You should not be nervous or pessimistic at this time. You should immediately lie down in bed (without a pillow) and rest, take thrombolytic and vasodilator drugs and receive traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture treatment as prescribed by the doctor. It is expected that your condition will gradually improve and you can resume normal activities.

4. Malnutrition

It is more common in people with anemia, intestinal parasitic infection, bone and intestinal lesions, or lack of vitamin B1 and potassium salts. It causes insufficient blood supply and energy supply to the body, and nerve damage, resulting in sensory and motor disorders in the hands. There are symptoms such as numbness in hands and legs, fatigue, dizziness or palpitations. You need to take medicine to deworm and regulate your stomach as prescribed by your doctor, and choose to eat foods rich in iron, potassium salt, vitamins B1, B2 and folic acid, such as animal blood, lean meat, soy products, whole grains, green leafy vegetables and eggs.

5. Neurological

It can be caused by scarlet fever, typhoid fever, colds, measles, herpes zoster, mumps, infectious mononucleosis, leptospirosis, syphilis, malaria, acute schistosomiasis, diphtheria, tetanus and bacillary dysentery, polyneuritis or acute polyradiculitis secreted by neurotoxins from bacteria or viruses.