Pregnant arms numb

Numbness During Pregnancy – causes, and remedies - Healthcare Wellness Blogs

A woman undergoes many changes in her body when she is pregnant. Numbness is one of that; you may experience it in legs, arms, belly, face or any other part of the body. This is a common symptom in the first trimester for most of the expectant women. It happens because the body starts to change and prepare itself for the newborn. Numbness in the second trimester mostly occurs due to the improper sleep and sitting postures. These symptoms will be more towards the third trimester; it is due to the nerves that get compressed by the increased size of the uterus and the changes in sleeping postures.

Symptoms of numbness in pregnancy

You may feel numbness or tingle like pins and needles, there will be a loss of sensation or pain which usually subsides by switching the sides. This can happen anywhere in the body. This is a very common symptom and one need not worry about it.
You may have numbness in legs when you wake up in the morning or after a nap.
Many pregnant women feel numbness in hand and arm soon after waking up from sleep or sometimes after lifting heavy objects.
Numbness also occurs in the finger due to stressed out joints.
You may also experience numbness in tongue after intake of certain foods or if you have strained your neck due to sudden movement.

What causes numbness during pregnancy?

The reasons which cause the numbness and tingling are the bodily changes that you are experiencing and the hormones. The hormone relaxin which is released by your body allows your ligaments to stretch during pregnancy and childbirth. This may cause the body’s weight to pinch nerves in the joints and subsequently numb a related area.

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You may also feel numbness and tingling as your uterus grows heavier and fuller; this gives strain to your muscles, ligaments, and nerves.

As the days pass on and move towards 2^nd and 3^rd trimester of pregnancy, you will experience swelling in the hands and feet, this happens due to water retention. This swelling will contribute to feelings of numbness and tingling, and also put pressure on the nerves of your wrists, back, legs, thighs, and rear.

For some women, early pregnancy hormones will cause the body to retain water that leads to carpal tunnel syndrome. This painful condition affects hands and arms. This is common during pregnancy, it generally happens because expecting mom’s gains about 50% more blood during pregnancy. This causes pressure on the median nerve in the arm and causes pain.

Certain factors that cause anemia such as red blood cells count, deficiency of Iron or any other genetic factors may also cause numbness, dizziness, and pain.

Most of pregnant women experience sciatica which causes pain and numbness. The pain is severe and runs from the lower back down the whole length of the leg. This is very common in the second and third trimester as the growing baby in the uterus gives pressure on the sciatic nerve in the lower back.

Remedies for the numbness-

There is no exact remedy for numbness; however, there are measures to reduce the pain.

Start to make note of the foods that cause numbness when you consume them.
Avoid jerking movements of the neck, as they can give pressure on the spinal nerves that may lead to numbness.
Be careful in the third trimester, do not lift heavy weights and strain your back and be cautious about sitting and sleeping postures.
Foods which are high in sodium has to be reduced, it causes high blood pressure and water retention.
Numbness in the tongue may be caused due to low blood sugar.
Wear wrist splints during the night to keep the hands comfortable.
Gentle exercises will keep your body active and reduce the numbness of the body.

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Pregnancy: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome | Kaiser Permanente

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Overview

Tingling, numbness, and pain in the hands are common during pregnancy, especially in the last trimester. These problems are usually caused by carpal tunnel syndrome, and they usually go away after pregnancy.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a specific group of symptoms that can include tingling, numbness, weakness, or pain in the fingers, thumb, hand, and occasionally in the arm. These symptoms occur when there is pressure on the median nerve within the wrist.

The carpal tunnel is a small space or "tunnel" in the wrist formed by the wrist bones (carpal bones) and a ligament (transverse carpal ligament). The median nerve and several tendons pass through the carpal tunnel from the forearm to the hand. The median nerve controls some movements of the thumb, and this nerve supplies feeling to most of the thumb and to the index finger, middle finger, and part of the ring finger.

Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when a combination of health conditions and activities puts pressure on the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel in your wrist. Anything that decreases the amount of space in the carpal tunnel, increases the amount of tissue in the tunnel, or increases the sensitivity of the median nerve can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.

The swelling that is common in pregnancy can crowd structures in the tunnel and lead to carpal tunnel syndrome, especially when combined with forceful or repetitive hand and finger movement or the use of vibrating equipment.

If your symptoms are not severe, expect your health professional to recommend nonsurgical treatment to see whether symptoms improve. Nonsurgical treatment includes:

Changing or avoiding activities that may be causing symptoms, and taking frequent breaks from repetitive tasks.
Wearing a wrist splint to keep your wrist straight, usually just at night. See an illustration of a wrist splint.
Doing exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles in the hand and arm.
Learning ways to protect your joints as you go through your daily activities.

Unless carpal tunnel symptoms become intolerable, a pregnant woman should delay surgery until after childbirth. After delivery, symptoms often disappear without treatment when pregnancy-related fluid buildup is relieved.

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Table of contents

Causes and symptoms of hand numbness during pregnancy
What is dangerous numbness of hands and possible consequences
Prevention of numbness
Folk remedies for numbness
Cucumber tincture
Milk trays
Pumpkin Puree Wraps
Lemon and garlic tincture
Camphor ointment for the morning
Hand shower
Copper bracelets
Drawing conclusions

Pregnancy makes its own adjustments to the usual rhythm of life. Sometimes, a woman's body leads unexpectedly, and gives out symptoms that have never happened before. It arouses interest, and disturbs. One of these symptoms is that during pregnancy, hands become numb during sleep. Let's look into this issue, and understand whether the symptom is dangerous, and how to remove it.

Causes and symptoms of hand numbness during pregnancy

Do your hands go numb during sleep during pregnancy? The most common cause is circulatory problems. Nerve impulses transmit a signal of a lack of blood, and save the limbs by minimizing possible movements. However, during pregnancy, a few more are added to the characteristic cause:

Hormonal changes in the body.

A woman's body receives a powerful charge of hormones, which, on the one hand, makes bearing a fetus possible in principle, and on the other hand, makes adjustments to well-being, processes occurring in the body, appearance, mood, etc. Including hormones can cause hands to go numb during sleep during pregnancy.

Severe swelling.

A rare woman can avoid swelling during pregnancy, numb hands during sleep due to swelling. The accumulation of water leads to increased pressure on the vessels, which complicates blood circulation.

Weight set.

Another common cause of sleep numbness during pregnancy. All mothers already know that it is important to control their weight throughout pregnancy. This is not so much an aesthetic issue as a health issue. The load on the body is already increased, and if obesity of any degree occurs, the vessels reduce their ability to conduct blood correctly.

Tunnel syndrome.

Tunnel syndrome is characterized by compression of the median nerve. Because of this, nerve conduction is disturbed, and you feel that your hands go numb during pregnancy, in particular fingers and hands. Along with numbness comes a burning sensation, tingling, redness and swelling.

Vitamin deficiency.

Iron deficiency is also a common cause. This is one of the main trace elements that mothers need to replenish from the first days of pregnancy. Its lack is characterized by weakness, fatigue, and a decrease in hemoglobin. This leads to the fact that the hands go numb during sleep during pregnancy.

Less commonly, osteochondrosis and chronic pathologies of various types can be added to the causes. In contrast, you can note the reason that lies on the surface - you sleep in an uncomfortable position, because of which the tissues do not receive enough blood. Therefore, if the numbness of the hands occurred for the first time, do not panic. If possible, contact a gynecologist with this question, and most importantly, follow the dynamics of the onset of symptoms.

The danger of hand numbness and possible consequences

The mere fact that hands go numb during pregnancy is not dangerous. This is an uncomfortable symptom that can be accompanied by both a slight tingling sensation and quite noticeable pain. However, what is behind this symptom can bring serious consequences.

We have already mentioned above that if your hands go numb during sleep during pregnancy once or from time to time, do not worry, this may be due to an incorrect posture during sleep. Constant and recurrent pain can signal the presence of a disease that needs to be treated.

Leaving your arm numb during sleep unattended during pregnancy, you run the risk of exacerbating a particular disease that will lead to pregnancy complications, negatively affect the baby or negatively affect the birth process.

Prevention of numbness

If hands become numb during pregnancy, preventive measures can help. Moreover, these recommendations are useful for pregnant women in general. By introducing some changes in your usual diet and lifestyle, you can achieve significant results in the regulation of your health.

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Meals.

First of all, it is necessary to remove spicy and salty foods from the diet. It is also worth completely abandoning sausages and canned food. Other products, on the contrary, should be introduced into the diet:

Protein products. They act as a building material for the circulatory system, muscles, improve the functionality of cells. In addition, the protein is simply necessary for the baby for proper development.
Foods rich in calcium. With all the benefits of dairy products, make sure that what you eat is actually made from milk. It is also worth monitoring the reaction of your body. He should be comfortable digesting glucose.
Also on a regular basis in the diet should be foods rich in magnesium and potassium.

Drinking.

Not only what you eat is important, but also what you drink. The diet should contain exclusively purified mineral water and herbal teas. Everything else should be left for later. At the same time, it is important to keep the water balance. Drink the correct amount of liquid, calculated according to your individual needs.

Physical activity.

The reason that hands go numb during pregnancy can be physical activity. Both their excess and their shortcomings negatively affect. So, you need to completely refuse to carry heavy objects, bags on one shoulder, and minimize the time spent sitting. What is worth doing?

Wear a support brace.
Walk outdoors more often.
Do pregnancy exercises before bed, go to yoga or go swimming.

Additional tips for preventing numb hands during pregnancy.

Also introduce some good habits into your life that will help relieve unpleasant symptoms during pregnancy:

Completely give up uncomfortable clothes that squeeze. Of course, pregnancy is not a reason to look sloppy, but still, during this quivering period, the main thing is your comfort and the health of the baby.
If your hands go numb during pregnancy, choose an orthopedic mattress and pillow that is comfortable for you, purchase a special pillow for pregnant women (especially in the later stages).
Try to avoid hypothermia.
Get a massage.

But, the most important advice if your hands go numb during pregnancy is to consult a doctor. Perhaps the numbness of the hands is just a discomfort that will accompany you during one trimester, or even the entire pregnancy. Perhaps this is a signal from the body about a disease that needs to be treated today.

Folk remedies to combat numbness

To speed up the process of getting rid of an unpleasant symptom, or remove it "here and now", you can supplement the doctor's recommendations with folk methods. However, it is worth remembering that this is only an auxiliary part of the treatment. Traditional medicine offers safe and effective methods to relieve hand numbness during pregnancy, but with constant numbness, it is important to find and eliminate the cause.

Cucumber tincture

The tincture will help relieve the numbness syndrome and eliminate unpleasant indications. Its disadvantage is long preparation. The tincture is prepared for 10 days. You need to chop a few pickles and a couple of red pepper pods. All this is done with vodka and stored in glass containers for 10 days. Infusion should take place in a cold place, so it is worth placing the jar in the refrigerator. As time passes, use the tincture to rub your hands before going to bed.

Milk baths

If your hands go numb during pregnancy, an effective and pleasant treatment is milk baths. To do this, take about a liter of milk, water in equal amounts, 50 grams of honey and 400 grams of salt. Mix all this in a saucepan and simmer over low heat for half an hour. After the mixture has cooled, dip your hands in it for 15 minutes. The full course consists of 14 procedures at bedtime.

Pumpkin puree wraps

Helps prevent nighttime numbness and pumpkin. To do this, boiled pumpkin porridge should be put on your hands in a thick layer, put on cellophane gloves. So it is necessary to spend half an hour before going to bed. After half an hour, wash your hands in warm running water.

Lemon-garlic tincture

In four days you can prepare an effective non-alcoholic tincture for oral consumption. Lemon zest + an equal share of garlic are poured into half a liter of water and left for 4 days. After you need to drink 50 ml. potions before bed.

Camphor ointment in the morning

If your hands go numb during pregnancy, and in the morning you feel unpleasant consequences, such as tingling, redness, take camphor ointment, eucalyptus essential oil and rub it well on your hands with soft massage movements.

Contrast hand shower

An immediate and easy way to relieve the symptoms of numb hands during pregnancy is a contrast hand shower. One has only to hold hands under hot-cold-hot water. However, it is worth remembering the ongoing pregnancy. This leaves an imprint on the permissible temperatures. At the same time, the effectiveness of the method may decrease.

Copper bracelets

Unproven medicine also recommends the use of copper bracelets. By putting them on your hands at night, you will get rid of numbness on the first night. How much it helps when hands go numb in a dream during pregnancy has not been studied, but this method does not cause harm, so you can try folk wisdom from your own experience.

Drawing conclusions

Summing up, I would like to remind you that such an unpleasant, but seemingly unimportant symptom, is the reason for visiting a doctor. Especially during pregnancy. It is also important to remember that traditional medicine is most effective in conjunction with the official one. If your hands go numb during pregnancy, follow the doctor's recommendations, take prescribed medications and supplement them with your favorite folk method. Be healthy!

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90,000 why your hands are numb, fingers during pregnancy: what to do

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Updated 26 Jan 2022

Content:

Hand numbness during sleep

What to do next

Numbness or tingling in the hands is not normal. To get rid of this symptom will help a comprehensive examination of the body and the passage of appropriate treatment. A pregnant woman should be especially wary of such complaints, since a short-term loss of sensation in the limbs can be a harbinger of a dangerous condition. That is why if your hands go numb during pregnancy, you need to contact a specialist as soon as possible.

If your hands become numb during pregnancy, you should immediately consult a doctor

Numbness of hands during sleep

At first, there may be complaints of a slight tingling in the hands after waking up or at night, then the discomfort becomes more pronounced. Loss of sensation is limited to the fingers, the wrist area, or extends up to the shoulder.

Unpleasant sensations are sometimes accompanied by pain in the upper limb, and it may be unilateral or bilateral. Because of this, sleep worsens, the woman wakes up early and can no longer fall asleep. The most common and harmless cause is an uncomfortable posture. In this case, the discomfort is one-sided (for example, only the right hand is affected).

In the presence of a pathological process, there are complaints of tingling and numbness in the hands during the daytime, the discomfort becomes more pronounced.

You should not try to cope with the described symptom on your own or wait until the painful sensations disappear on their own.

It is necessary to contact a specialist and describe the complaints as accurately as possible: the nature of the discomfort, their duration, frequency of occurrence, exact localization and time of day at which numbness most often bothers.

It is obligatory to indicate whether the left arm or the right arm is taken away, whether tingling occurs in the lower extremities. A short-term decrease in sensitivity in the hands may be accompanied by blue and cold skin, burning, pain. It is important to accurately describe all disturbing phenomena.

Particular attention should be paid to such a moment: if the hands go numb during pregnancy, but this was not observed before, then something is definitely wrong in the body. Perhaps the woman has hidden edema that causes a similar symptom. The causes of discomfort are varied, and to identify them, you first need to contact an obstetrician-gynecologist and a therapist, if necessary, to other specialists.

More often numb hands during pregnancy in the 3rd trimester

A common mistake of pregnant women is to write off various kinds of unpleasant sensations for such common diseases and conditions as vegetative-vascular dystonia, osteochondrosis, hormonal changes, banal fatigue, physical inactivity, etc. Therefore, if in a dream or at any other time of the day in the forearm , shoulder, wrist and other places there is a burning sensation and tingling, you need to get an examination as soon as possible. Self-diagnosis is unacceptable, especially for women in position.

If the cause is fatigue, weight gain in the 2nd or 3rd trimester, drug therapy is not required. Compliance with the doctor's recommendations for lifestyle correction will eliminate the symptom in which hands become numb during pregnancy. It is strictly forbidden to take any drugs for other purposes.

There are several circumstances that explain why hands become numb during pregnancy. Sensations such as tingling and numbness should not be confused. In the latter case, we are talking about the loss of sensation in the limb, most often for a short period of time. In this case, numbness may be preceded by pain, burning and a feeling of "needles" in fingers hands or feet. In most cases, this is caused by a pinched nerve.

Possible causes of discomfort:

Hidden swelling. In pregnant women, this is the most likely cause of a decrease in the sensitivity of the limbs. Fluid retention in tissues leads to compression of blood vessels, nerve formations. At the same time, blood microcirculation worsens. Puffiness develops against the background of the influence of progesterone - the hormone of pregnancy. Edema poses a serious threat to the health of the mother and fetus, so you need to weigh yourself daily and record the results in a notebook. Only a doctor can correctly determine the treatment tactics for such pregnant women.
A feeling of tingling, burning, soreness in the hands is sometimes caused by a lack of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin B group. This cause is rarely considered as the main one, so it is necessary to tell a doctor about the nature of nutrition at a doctor's appointment. Insufficient intake of foods rich in potassium, magnesium, calcium can lead to impaired sensitivity in the limbs and convulsions. Diet correction does not always make it possible to cover the deficiency of these substances, therefore, some pregnant women are recommended to take vitamin-mineral complexes. Only a doctor should choose the right drug.
Uncomfortable bed or mattress, wrong position during night rest. The right or left hand does not work due to the fact that it is squeezed for some time. Providing a normal, comfortable place to sleep will prevent the occurrence of unpleasant symptoms in the future. In order to eliminate the feeling of numbness in a squeezed limb, it is enough to stretch it a little.
Pinching of the cervical spine. This occurs not only because of an uncomfortable posture, but also because of an incorrectly selected pillow - too high or low.
Incorrect organization of the workplace during constant work at the computer. Such people often complain not only of periodic tingling and numbness in the limbs, but also of pain in various parts of the body. If pain and burning appear only in the hand, most likely there is a tunnel syndrome. It occurs due to constant work with the keyboard and mouse. A monotonous monotonous load on the same segments of the limb leads to pinching of the median nerve, which causes pain in the fingers.
Intervertebral hernia, cervical osteochondrosis, diseases of the joints. According to statistics, osteochondrosis is diagnosed in every fifth middle-aged person, and at first the disease does not manifest itself in any way, and as the pathological process progresses, symptoms such as numbness, tingling in the limbs, pain in the back, shoulders, and arms appear. The diagnosis is confirmed by the presence of specific radiological signs. Pregnant women do not undergo X-ray examination, but consultation with a neurologist is still required. Infringement of the cervical nerve is accompanied by pain in the shoulders, chest and limbs, a feeling of numbness of the fourth or fifth fingers.
Chronic diseases. In pregnant women, immunity decreases, which leads to an exacerbation of chronic pathologies. When visiting a doctor, you need to tell in detail about all the existing diseases. Violation of sensitivity may occur due to metabolic disorders, inflammatory or neoplastic processes.

Not always numbness and tingling in the hands appears due to the pathological process. Significant weight gain, psycho-emotional instability, overwork, insufficient rest and other adverse factors - all this can cause discomfort.

Most often the pain is in the right hand . This is due to the fact that this hand is most involved in performing daily activities at home or at work. A simple warm-up will help prevent overstrain and the appearance of discomfort. Between cooking, cleaning, working at the computer, you need to do light gymnastics - rotational movements of the hands, spreading the arms, etc.

Should be alert if pain and tingling occur in the left arm and shoulder. In some patients, these symptoms are associated with problems in the cardiovascular system. If, at the same time, chest pains are also disturbing, you should immediately contact a cardiologist.

why fingers go numb: the cause is nerve compression

What to do next

If the described symptoms appear, you should first contact your general practitioner, and also report the discomfort to the obstetrician-gynecologist who manages the pregnancy. The therapist will draw up a plan for the necessary studies and, if necessary, refer to other doctors: a neurologist, endocrinologist, cardiologist.

The key is to find the cause of the numbness as soon as possible and treat it if necessary. Most often, it is enough to eliminate adverse factors (uncomfortable bed, poor diet, mental and physical overload).

Light herbal sedation may be needed. Only a doctor can choose a remedy suitable for a pregnant woman. Some are also prescribed external medicines in the form of ointments, gels.

Prevention recommendations:

Prevention of edema - limiting salt intake. The optimal drinking regimen will be determined by the doctor. You can keep a diary in which information about the daily fluid consumed is entered. First courses, fruits and vegetables are also taken into account.
Wearing comfortable clothing that does not restrict movement.
Refusal during childbearing of shoes with heels.
Gymnastics every hour while working at the computer.
Selection of a comfortable mattress and pillow. It is possible to purchase a special pillow for pregnant women.
Enrichment of the diet with vitamins mainly due to fresh vegetable food. If necessary, take a vitamin complex.
Yoga, swimming, group gymnastics for pregnant women with a professional instructor, if there are no contraindications

The most common cause of numbness in the arms or legs during pregnancy is nerve compression. Why this happens, only a doctor should determine. If the examination did not show any pathological process, an active lifestyle, good nutrition and a rational working regime will help to cope with discomfort.

Read more: legs become numb during pregnancy

April 24, 2019 19:11 | Edited: January 26, 2022 11:52 AM

* The information provided cannot be used for self-diagnosis, treatment determination and does not replace a visit to a doctor!

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