i'm starting to get concerned that half of my left hand has been numb for a week now. it's the pinky and ring finger half that feels "asleep" down to the wrist, the rest of the hand is just considerably weak...can't take lids off jars, etc. i haven't injured it but i'm worried it's carpal tunnel from my work as a glass blower for the past 10 years (lots of repetative rotating and manipulation of big heavy pieces of glass). any suggestions before i go to see a Dr.?

try wearing a brace for a while, it will help. However, if it is carpal tunnel, you will have to be seen by doc, it will not get better on it's own.

I was going to suggest this too, good advice.

a lot of guys would consider that lucky when it comes to masterbation...lol

The advice I have, before you call the doctor, is to pick the phone up with the good hand, AND CALL THE DOCTOR!!!!!!!!!!

is there anything else it "could" be? vitamin deficiency, alcohol consumption , etc? anybody here experienced carpal tunnel?

i'll try that. thanks

I had this from using the mouse to much...change positions of your arm and cusion your elbow...mine went away.

yes, I have carpal tunnel. The only thing that helps it besides braces is surgery. I can't think of any other reason your hand would be going numb like that

could be tendonitis too (tennis elbow)

it'll affect your grip like that too

best to just see the doctor

well, something else is numb too but i KNOW what's causing that

really? now that you mention it, i can kinda feel a little numbness in my forearm too

Since you asked:

Acroosteolysis neurogenic
Acroparesthesia syndrome
Brachial Plexus Injury
Broken finger(s)
Broken hand
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy
Chronic Kidney Disease
Ciguatera poisoning
Dana syndrome
Dermatomyositis
Diabetes
Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy
Ganglion cyst
Halm-Munk syndrome
Hand neuropathy
Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies
Hypocalcemia, autosomal dominant
Limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis
Lupus
Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy
POEMS syndrome
Pernicious anemia
Polyneuritis
Pyridoxine deficiency
Radiation-Induced Brachial Plexopathy
Raynaud's phenomenon
Syringomyelia, cervical lesion
Etc...

...or in other words, just go see a doctor. lol

wow i hope it's Raynaud's phenomenon, that sounds cool

lol my favorite is "Radiation-Induced Brachial Plexopathy".

I ignored systems that I had of a medical problem for years and then one day I had 9 ministokes at the age of 41 and almost died. The one thing I learned is to know your body.

GO SEE A DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY!!!!

More than likely it is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome..
really the only cure for that is either surgery or you have to stop doing the repetitive work that you are doin.

Does it get better if you don't work, like on your days off?
Then it is definetly Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

AMPDog, nice job in scaring the crap out of this guy. :P
Turned me into a hypochondriac. :P

It prolly nothing serious, but get it checked out, better safe than sorry.

You can try antiinflammatories, like ibuprofen or Advil or Aleve to see if they help. They will help some with tendonitis. A brace will help with carpal tunnel, wear it to bed at night and off and on during the day, you want to continue to use range of motion to the wrist, wearing a brace constantly can make your wrist stiff. Ice packs can help with the pain if there is any. But changing positions and how you hold things is helpful too, as someone said above.

And, you do NOT want Raynaud's Phenomenon - not good. Is when the capillaries shut down to the fingers and toes, etc., affecting the blood circulation and they turn white and blue in the cold, really painful. My girlfriend has it and has had to have some toes amputated because of it. She got hers by getting some frostbite when she was young.

Good luck, now check with your doctor. Take care.

well, stopping my work isn't an option and no it doesn't get better when i'm not working. there's no pain but it's annoying

If it is carpal tunnel, it takes awhile for any improvement to show, you would have to wear the brace for awhile before you noticed any difference. When I have had tendinitis in my wrist it caused burning and stinging, so it doesn't really sound like you have tendinitis, but could try the nonsteroidals anyways.

The doctor may be able to give you a steroid shot into the wrist to help with it, but I don't know for sure, and usually is an orthopedist who would do that. Good luck.