Tingling in the Hands (2025)

Tingling in the hands is a common symptom of several health conditions. The cause of the tingling may be easily remedied or could be a sign of a more serious problem.

You should get medical care right away if you also have severe symptoms like dizziness, confusion, paralysis, or numbness in other parts of the body.

Tingling in the Hands (1)

Symptoms

Tingling in the hands is a “pins-and-needles” sensation that can come with numbness in the hands or fingers.

When and how the tingling starts and how long it continues depends on what’s causing it.

Causes of Tingling in Hands

Tingling in hands is a common symptom of several medical conditions.Tingling can have common or more serious causes. Sometimes, the sensation is only temporary and not cause for concern.

For example, if blood flow is cut off—such as when you fall asleep on your hand—you may feel tingling and numbness that gets better once the blood flow is restored.Exposure to cold can produce a tingling and/or burning effect, which fades once you warm up.

However, if tingling or numbness in the hands happens often or is not going away, there could be a medical cause. The most common conditions associated with hand tingling include:

  • Nerve compression: If a nerve gets compressed or “trapped” it can cause tingling or numbness, as when falling asleep on your hand or arm produces temporary discomfort. Compression due to injury, inflammation, or pressure related to tumor growth could produce chronic tingling in one or both hands.
  • Nerve damage: Nerves can be damaged from injury as well as metabolic problems.Peripheral neuropathyis damage to the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. It is a common symptom of metabolic disorders likediabetes.Tingling in the feet is also common with diabetes.
  • Poor circulation: Blood flow problems can cause tingling in different parts of the body, including the hands. Sometimes, a heart problem like plaque buildup in your arteries (atherosclerosis) affects blood circulation and can cause symptoms like tingling hands.
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome:This condition is caused by compression of the median nerve in the wrist. The pinched nerve can lead to tingling and/or numbness up to the palm and fingers.
  • Alcohol use disorder: Heavy alcohol use can lead to poor absorption of nutrients like thiamine (vitamin B1). Over time, this deficiency can lead to conditions likeberiberiandWernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, both of which cause tingling in the hands.
  • Vitamin B-12 deficiency: Those who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, haveCrohn'sor celiac disease, or have had weight-loss surgery are prone to this deficiency. A lack of B12 can cause numbness, or tingling in the hands, legs, or feet.
  • Autoimmune diseases:Conditions that cause the immune system to attack healthy cells can damage the peripheral nervous system, leading to tingling in the hands.Guillain-Barre syndromeandrheumatoid arthritisare two autoimmune disorders that include hand tingling as a symptom.

How Diabetic Neuropathy Is Diagnosed and Treated

Tingling in the Hands as a Side Effect of Medication

Tingling in the hands can be a side effect of some medications.

Some drugs or combinations of drugs can lead to nerve damage (neuropathy). If the damaged nerve supplies the wrist or hand, it could cause tingling in the hand.

Examples of medications and substances that can cause neuropathy include:

  • Heart or blood pressure drugs
  • Chemotherapy drugs
  • Anti-infection drugs
  • Autoimmune disorder drugs
  • Anti-seizure drugs

When to Seek Medical Attention for Tingling in the Hands

If you are having tingling in your hands and don't know why, consider whether the tingling is a one-off bout that goes away quickly. If the problem is temporary, it's probably not something to worry about.

On the other hand, if the tingling is not getting better or it’s happening often, you should talk to your healthcare provider.

Tingling in Hands: When To Call 911

There are times when tingling in your hands could be a sign of a serious health problem, like a heart attack or stroke.

If you are having hand tingling along with these symptoms, get medical attention right away:

  • Numbness in other parts of your body
  • Paralysis
  • Dizziness
  • Confusion
  • Slurred speech

Diagnosis

Since tingling in the hands is a common symptom of multiple medical conditions, different courses of action and tests might be needed to figure out the cause and establish a treatment plan.

Diagnostic procedures may include:

  • A physical exam (including a neurological exam)
  • Taking a medical history (e.g., medications you are taking, other health conditions, and lifestyle factors)
  • Blood tests to check hormone and vitamin levels, among other things
  • Imaging tests, such as X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) scans
  • Nerve function tests (e.g., electromyography, which records electrical activity in muscle tissue when the nerve is stimulated)

How Tingling in The Hands Is Treated

Treatment for tingling in the hands depends on the underlying cause. Rather than treating the tingling or numbness directly, a healthcare provider will first try to identify why it's happening.

Depending on the underlying cause of the tingling in your hands, treatment may include medication or specific therapies for the condition.

For example, if the tingling is caused by nerve damage from an injury, you might need physical therapy to heal. Easingdiabetic neuropathy may require medication(s) and lifestyle changes. If alcohol misuse is the issue, correcting vitamin deficiencies and long-term counseling can help.

Summary

Tingling in the hands is a common symptom of several medical conditions, especially those that affect the nerves, like diabetes and autoimmune disorders.Medications can also cause tingling in the hands as a side effect.

When the tingling only happens once in a while and gets better fast, it’s probably not a reason to worry. If the tingling recurs or does not subside, consult your healthcare provider.

Tingling in the hands with other symptoms like paralysis or slurred speech should be treated as a medical emergency.

5 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. MedlinePlus. Numbness and tingling.

  2. Genova A, Dix O, Saefan A, Thakur M, Hassan A. Carpal tunnel syndrome: A review of literature. Cureus. 2020;12(3):e7333.

  3. Harvard Health Publishing - Harvard Medical School. Vitamin B12 deficiency can be sneaky and harmful.

  4. MedlinePlus. Neuropathy secondary to drugs.

  5. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Hand pain and problems.

Tingling in the Hands (2)

By Emily Brown, MPH
Emily is a health communication consultant, writer, and editor at EVR Creative, specializing in public health research and health promotion. With a scientific background and a passion for creative writing, her work illustrates the value of evidence-based information and creativity in advancing public health.

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Tingling in the Hands (2025)

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