Numbness and tingling are unusual sensations that can occur throughout your body, but they are often felt in your fingers, hands, feet, arms, or legs. But tingling in the left arm can cause people special concern. Let’s look at this issue together in this short article.
What’s Causing My Left Arm Tingling?
There are many possible causes of numbness and tingling sensation in left or right hand, consisting of:
- Sitting or standing in the same position for a long time
- Hurting a nerve (a neck injury may trigger you to feel numbness anywhere along your arm or hand, while a low back injury can trigger numbness or tingling down the back of your leg).
- Pressure on the nerves of the spine, such as from a herniated disk.
- Pressure on peripheral nerves from enlarged blood vessels, growths, scar tissue, or infection.
- Shingles or herpes zoster infection.
- Absence of blood supply to an area, such as from hardening of the arteries, frostbite, or vessel inflammation.
- Irregular levels of calcium, potassium, or sodium in your body.
- A lack of vitamin B12 or another vitamin.
- Use of particular medications.
- Nerve damage due to lead, alcohol, or tobacco, or from chemotherapy drugs.
- Radiation therapy.
- Animal bites.
- Bug, tick, mite, and spider bites.
- Seafood Toxins.
- Hereditary conditions that impact the nerves.
Numbness and tingling can be triggered by other medical conditions, consisting of:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome (pressure on a nerve at the wrist).
- Diabetes.
- Migraines.
- Multiple sclerosis.
- Seizures.
- Stroke.
- Transient ischemic attack (TIA), in some cases, called a “mini-stroke”.
- Underactive thyroid.
- Raynaud phenomenon (narrowing of the blood vessels, normally in the hands and feet).
Is Tingling in the Left Arm a Sign of Heart Attack?
Left arm numbness and/or tingling could be due to something as easy as sleeping position or as serious as a cardiac arrest. In between are lots of other possible causes. This applies to numbness in the right arm as well.
A momentary feeling of numbness in your left arm is typically no cause for alarm. It will likely solve by itself. However if it persists or you have any doubt about the cause at all, it’s worth calling your physician.
How to Help Yourself When You Have Tingling in a Left Arm
Your healthcare company must discover and deal with the cause of your numbness or tingling. Treating the condition might make the symptoms disappear or stop them from becoming worse. For example, if you have carpal tunnel syndrome or low back pain, your doctor may suggest specific exercises.
If you have diabetes, your company will talk about methods to control your blood sugar level.
Low levels of vitamins will be treated with vitamin supplements.
Medicines that trigger numbness or tingling may need to be switched or altered. DO NOT change or stop taking any of your medications or take large doses of any vitamins or supplements till you have talked with your supplier.
Because numbness can cause a decline in feeling, you might be most likely to mistakenly injure a numb hand or foot. Make sure to protect the area from cuts, bumps, contusions, burns, or other injuries.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Go to a health center or call your local emergency number (such as 911) if:
- You have weakness or are not able to move, along with numbness or tingling.
- Numbness or tingling happen simply after a head, neck, or back injury.
- You can not manage the motion of an arm or a leg, or you have lost bladder or bowel control.
- You are puzzled or have actually lost consciousness, even quickly.
- You have actually slurred speech, a change in vision, difficulty walking, or weakness.
Call your supplier if:
- Numbness or tingling has no apparent cause (like a hand or foot “going to sleep”).
- You have pain in your neck, forearm, or fingers.
- You are urinating more often.
- Numbness or tingling is in your legs and becomes worse when you stroll.
- You have a rash.
- You have dizziness, muscle spasm, or other uncommon symptoms.
What to Expect at Your Office Visit
Your supplier will take a medical history and carry out a physical exam, carefully checking your nerve system.
You will be inquired about your symptoms. Questions might consist of when the problem began, its location, or if there’s anything that enhances or gets worse the symptoms.
Your supplier might also ask concerns to determine your danger for stroke, thyroid disease, or diabetes, as well as concerns about your work habits and medications.
Blood tests that might be purchased consist of:
- Total blood count (CBC).
- Electrolyte level (a measurement of body chemicals and minerals) and liver function tests.
- Thyroid function tests.
- Measurement of vitamin levels.
- Heavy metal or toxicology screening.
- Sedimentation rate.
- C-reactive protein.
Imaging tests might consist of:
- Angiogram (a test that uses x-rays and a particular color to see inside the capillary).
- CT angiogram.
- CT scan of the head.
- CT scan of the spine.
- MRI of the head.
- MRI of the spine.
- Ultrasound of neck vessels to identify your risk for TIA or stroke.
- Vascular ultrasound.
- X-ray of the afflicted area.
Other tests that may be done consist of:
- Electromyography and nerve conduction research studies to measure how your muscles respond to nerve stimulation.
- Lumbar leak (spine tap) to dismiss central nerve system disorders.
- Cold stimulation test might be done to look for Raynaud phenomenon.
Alternative Names
Sensory loss; Paresthesias; Tingling and numbness; Loss of sensation.
