A certain tingling in hands and feet might be caused due to a number of reasons. However, it might be a signal for pretty worrisome diseases. There is no guarantee that the tingling in hands and feet is the result of the killer Diabetes. In other cases, the sensation can be because of Pernicious Anemia or the Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. There might be various other problems/diseases associated to the tingling sensation. A detailed discussion is vital for those who are contemplating of consulting a doctor. Tingling in hands and feet can be extremely bothersome and can vary from severe, episodic to chronic.
Pernicious Anemia is a condition where a person’s body is unable to produce sufficient healthy red blood cells due to the low levels of vitamin B12 in the system. Due to lack of an intrinsic factor – a glycoprotein synthesized by stomach’s parietal cells, the body cannot absorb sufficient vitamin B12 from food. This results in the vitamin’s deficiency and results in tingling in hands and feet. You have the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome when the median nerve (a large nerve running through the forearm to the hand) invades the wrist as it passes through the carpal tunnel. The median nerve and numerous tendons pass through the carpal tunnel. Swelling in the carpal tunnel can compress the structures including the median nerve that often causes pain, weakness, and numbness and tingling in hands and feet, wrist and forearm.
A person suffering from Diabetes for more than 25 years might develop nerve damage throughout his body. The damage causes the tingling sensation in the upper and lower extremities. Around 70% of the people with Diabetes suffer from nerve damage and Diabetic Neuropathy. Peripheral Neuropathy (nerve damage) accompanied by tingling in hands and feet might be caused by repetitive stress injuries, traumatic injuries, bacterial or viral infections or toxic exposures. More than 20 million Americans suffer from Peripheral Neuropathy. There are approximately 100 different types of this problem and over time they might result in permanent damage like decreased mobility and later disability.
Inherited disorders, autoimmune diseases, toxins, infections, injury, vitamin deficiencies and alcoholism – all are connected to the tingling in hands and feet. It is mandatory to seek prompt medical advice for any persistent tingling in hands, feet or both. The earlier the underlying cause id identified and treated, the lesser the chances of any permanent damage inside the body.