Tingling sensations in my hands

I have been having tingling sensations in my hands for some time now. Kindly let me know what this means and what I can do about it.

Ayobami (by SMS)

Tingling in hands and feet is an extremely common and bothersome symptom. Paresthesia is the medical term for this, which in addition to tingling, can feel like pricks, numbness, or burning under the skin. The tingling sensation can often be benign and temporary.

For example, it might happen when there’s weight or pressure on an arm under your head as you sleep. Or it could result from pressure on your nerves when you cross your legs for too long. In either case, the “pins and needles” effect, usually painless, is soon relieved by removing the pressure that caused it. However, sometimes tingling in your hands and feet can be severe, episodic, or chronic. It can also come with other symptoms, such as pain, itching, numbness, and muscle wasting.

In these cases, tingling may be a sign of nerve damage from causes as varied as traumatic or repetitive stress injuries, bacterial or viral infections, toxic exposures, or diseases such as diabetes. Treatment of tingling in hands and feet depends on the underlying cause. As long as peripheral nerve cells have not been killed, they can regenerate. Although there are no treatments for inherited types of peripheral neuropathy, many of the acquired types can be improved with treatment.

For example, good blood sugar control in diabetes can help keep diabetic neuropathy from getting worse, and vitamin supplements can correct peripheral neuropathy in people with vitamin deficiencies. In some cases, tingling and other symptoms of peripheral neuropathy may be eased with prescriptions developed for treating seizures and depression. You also may be prescribed physical therapy or undergo surgery to mend the underlying issue.

READ ALSO: Jewelry theft: Jonathan has no hand in incarceration of 15 suspects — Bayelsa Judiciary