Parasthesia and menopause: What makes my fingers tingle?

If you ever get a weird tingling, crawling, numbness, or itching in your extremities — hands, feet, arms, legs — it might just be menopause.

We all know the pins-and-needles feeling of realizing you’ve been in one position too long and your foot fell asleep, or of toes warming up after an afternoon of sledding. But when the tingling or burning happens for none of the usual reasons, it can be a little alarming.

Fear not. It’s called paresthesia, it’s not uncommon, and it usually stops when estrogen levels stabilize. Knowing that doesn’t make it any less annoying, so we’re going to talk about what it is and how to get rid of it for our Symptom of the Month.

What causes the tingling in my hands?

Surprise — declining estrogen levels may be the culprit. Because estrogen levels impact our central nervous system, when those levels start to fluctuate, some of the nerves are impacted.

The sensations can take a lot of forms: tingling, burning, crawling skin, cold, numbness, the classic pins-and-needles, and increased sensitivity. Women report symptoms from intermittent and mild to lasting and painful, even to the point of waking them from sleep.

Is the tingling sensation dangerous?*

Paresthesia due to hormone fluctuation isn’t dangerous on its own, although numbness in the feet can cause women to lose their balance and fall when walking or running. Some women report the numbness or other sensation can make it temporarily difficult to grip or do fine finger movements. When suffering a bout of paresthesia, it’s important to pay attention to how your body may be affected and adapt to any reduced ability.

Is it time to talk with a Menopause Practitioner? Book your Telemedicine appointment now.

What can I do about the pricking in my thumbs?

As usual, there are lifestyle changes to try first:

1. Eat right. A balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruits and veggies helps regulate the body and may help moderate symptoms.
2. Regular exercise improves blood flow and reduces tension, both of which can help relieve paresthesia. Stretch. Move.
3. Get acupuncture and/or massage. Again, improving circulation can really help with paresthesia symptoms.
4. Sleep, hydrate, cut back on alcohol and caffeine. You know all these already, and should be doing them for all your menopause symptoms. Give your central nervous system all the support it needs to do its job well.
5. If you smoke, quit. Smoking is hard on the circulation, restricting blood flow.
6. Add supplements. B12 deficiency is a particular cause of paresthesia, and adding iron, magnesium, and vitamins B, C, D, and E might help. If you suspect you may be low on B12, that’s a good time to see a health care professional.

If none of these make the paresthesia manageable, talk to a doctor about medical interventions like hormone replacement, topical creams, or a low-dose antidepressant medication.

Read the rest of this post on our website.

Originally published at gennev.com on October 23, 2017.