Nerve or blood vessel compression, cervical spine syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, finger joint degeneration, and rheumatoid arthritis often lead to tingling in the fingertips.
Causes of Tingling in Your Fingertips You Should Know
Calvin Q Trinh, M.D., Director of the HMR American Standard Rehabilitation and Fitness Unit, states that tingling is a sensory disorder or paresthesia that can be partial or total. Patients may feel their fingertips or entire fingers tingling, experiencing sensations like pins and needles or feeling as if they have been bitten by ants, alongside a loss of sensation in the fingertips. The fingers may also feel sharp, painful, and this usually starts at the fingertips before potentially radiating to the entire finger or hand, and even up the arm, making daily activities and work difficult.
According to Dr. Calvin, tingling in the fingertips is commonly caused by the following:
Nerve and Blood Vessel Compression
This occurs when maintaining a static position for too long, which hinders blood circulation and places stress and pressure on the nerves. Activities such as driving continuously for several hours, sleeping in one position, resting one’s head on the hand, or sitting at a computer for prolonged periods can lead to tingling in the fingertips. In such cases, moving or changing positions often resolves the tingling symptoms.
Cervical Nerve Root Disease, Cervical Spine Syndrome
This condition, also known as cervical radiculopathy or cervical spine syndrome, is closely related to cervical spine degeneration and cervical disc herniation. The underlying cause is often the result of prolonged muscle imbalance in the cervical and shoulder regions over many years. As a result, when the condition occurs, the nerves responsible for transmitting signals to and from the fingers are inevitably affected, leading to tingling in the fingertips.
Signs indicating cervical nerve root compression include neck fatigue, persistent neck pain that worsens when tilting the head back or bending forward, and discomfort when turning the head left or right. Pain may radiate from the neck to the shoulder, arm, and fingers, with numbness corresponding to the affected nerve root area.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when repetitive pressure compresses the median nerve within the carpal tunnel. Patients experience numbness, tingling sensations like pinpricks or electric shocks, or loss of sensation in the fingertips. These pains often occur suddenly, intensify at night, and during movement or work, easing during rest.
Sharp pain, numbness, and tingling along the median nerve can gradually diminish hand mobility and grip strength. Patients may require surgical intervention or rehabilitation treatment to avoid complications.
Finger Joint Degeneration
Clinical signs of finger joint degeneration typically include tingling in the fingers accompanied by pain and swelling in the joints. Pain worsens with movement and work, alleviating with rest, and often increases throughout the day, particularly in the afternoon. There may also be slight swelling in the thumb joints and the proximal and distal interphalangeal joints of the index and middle fingers of both hands.
Finger joint degeneration is related to the general aging process of the body, with older adults at a higher risk of developing this condition.
Clinical signs of finger joint degeneration often include tingling in the fingers. (Image: Mỹ Ý).
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Initially, the disease tends to affect small joints, typically in the fingers, hands, toes, and feet, before expanding to larger joints. The disease causes inflammation of the joint lining, which can ultimately lead to bone erosion or joint deformity. Tingling sensations occur due to nerve compression around the affected joints.
Patients often exhibit morning stiffness lasting at least an hour, inflammation (swelling, warmth, redness, pain) in the joints of the hands and wrists, which may sometimes be symmetrical on both sides.
Peripheral Neuropathy
Peripheral neuropathy often arises from various causes such as physical trauma (the primary cause of peripheral nerve damage), vitamin B12 deficiency, diabetes, alcohol abuse, infections, genetic factors, metabolic disorders, or exposure to toxic chemicals…
The manifestations of the disease depend on the location of the damaged nerve, resulting in different symptoms for each individual, which may include sensory, autonomic, or motor disturbances. Tingling in the fingertips is commonly associated with sensory nerves and is one of the most frequent symptoms.
Diabetes
Tingling in the fingertips may also accompany typical symptoms of diabetes such as increased hunger, thirst, urination, and weight loss.
Tingling in the fingertips is a severe complication of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Risk factors associated with this complication may include the chronic progression of diabetes, regular smoking, being overweight, obesity, and vitamin B12 deficiency.
Raynaud’s Syndrome
Raynaud’s syndrome is characterized by sudden and severe constriction of peripheral blood vessels in response to cold or stress. During this time, blood vessels may narrow, hindering blood circulation to the body’s tissues. Over time, this can lead to tingling in the fingertips.
This condition can occur in the fingers, toes, ears, nose, or nipples. The incidence is the same for both men and women, at a ratio of 1:1. In severe cases, it may lead to skin ulcers and necrosis of fingers or toes due to ischemia.
Other Causes
Injuries from traffic accidents, workplace incidents, or falls, if not treated adequately, can gradually result in tingling in the fingertips.
Stress and prolonged life or work pressures also pose a risk of causing tingling in the fingertips.
A poor diet lacking in essential nutrients, including vitamin B12, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and zinc, can lead to severe deficiencies that may result in tingling sensations in many individuals.
As people age, the heart’s ability to pump blood to the extremities diminishes, making older adults more susceptible to tingling in the fingertips. Changes in weather, particularly cold temperatures, can also affect blood vessels, leading to tingling in the fingers and toes.
