Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful illness of the hand and wrist that progresses over time. It is a common condition, thought to affect about 4 out of every 100 people in the United States. The condition is caused by a compression of the median nerve, which passes from the forearm into the hand, and is responsible for controlling some of your hand muscles and allowing you to feel sensations with your hand. As the median nerve is squeezed, less blood and nutrients flow to it, causing pain, numbness, and weakness in the fingers and thumb.
The sooner the pressure on the nerve is relieved, the better the chance for recovery. Carpal tunnel syndrome usually occurs only in adults, and women are three times more likely than men to develop the illness. Those who perform assembly line work are especially at risk. Other risk factors include wrist fractures, certain medical conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus), hormonal changes, and alcohol abuse.
(Click Carpal Tunnel Syndrome for the full eMedTV article on this topic. This article provides more detail about early symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as irreversible damage that carpal tunnel syndrome can cause. You can also click on any of the links in the box to the right for more specific information.)
HealthSavvy Sign In
|