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Numbness or tingling sensations in your hands

Outstretched hands. Credit / Shutterstock
Outstretched hands. Credit / Shutterstock

Numbness and tingling in the hands can be unsettling, especially if it occurs frequently. It might feel like tingling, pins and needles, or a complete loss of sensation. Keep reading to learn the potential causes of hand numbness so you can understand why it happens!

Waking up with numb hands or experiencing that pins-and-needles sensation out of nowhere can be frustrating and frightening.

But don’t panic: “Numbness alone isn’t usually associated with potentially dangerous disorders, such as strokes or tumors,” according to the Mayo Clinic.

And the good news is that it’s likely minor and easy to correct.

Let’s review what’s behind the odd feeling in your digits.

Sleep position

Have you ever woken up to find your hand completely “asleep”? Blame your sleeping position! Lying on your arm or hand can compress nerves and cut off blood flow. The result? That weird, tingly sensation.

Quick fix: Change your position, and the feeling should fade fast. No need for a dramatic leap out of bed – just a gentle repositioning will do!

Repetitive motions

Whether it’s typing, writing, or using tools, repetitive hand motions can compress nerves over time. A prime example is carpal tunnel syndrome, where the median nerve in your wrist gets squished, causing numbness and tingling.

Healthline cautions that “If the condition persists, it can cause permanent nerve damage. Sometimes surgery is necessary to relieve the pressure.”

Pro tip: Take breaks, stretch those wrists, and consider ergonomic tools to reduce strain. Your hands will thank you!

Vitamin deficiency

Vitamin B12 is like fuel for your nerves. A lack of it can lead to numbness and tingling in your hands and feet, alongside symptoms like fatigue and muscle weakness.

Who’s at risk?

  • Vegetarians or vegans with limited dietary B12.
  • Those with absorption issues (e.g., Crohn’s disease).

Adding B12-rich foods like eggs, dairy, or fortified cereals to your diet – or taking supplements—can restore balance.

Electrolyte imbalance

When your body’s levels of calcium, potassium, or sodium dip, nerve signals can go haywire, leading to tingling sensations. Common causes include dehydration, certain medications, or health conditions.

Stay balanced: Drink water, eat nutrient-dense foods, and consult a doctor if symptoms persist.

Diabetes and peripheral neuropathy

Long-term high blood sugar can damage your peripheral nerves, leading to diabetic neuropathy. This is a common cause of numbness, tingling, or even burning sensations in the hands and feet.

About 50% of people with diabetes experience this condition. Managing blood sugar levels is key to prevention and relief.

Neck or spinal issues

A herniated disc or neck spondylosis (spinal wear and tear) can compress nerves, sending tingling signals to your hands. Healthline writes that if you’re also feeling stiffness or pain in your neck, this might be the root cause.

Physical therapy, posture adjustments, and in severe cases, medical intervention can ease the discomfort.

Autoimmune disorders

Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis can cause nerve damage, leading to numbness or tingling. They often come with other symptoms like joint pain or muscle weakness.

Working with a specialist to manage these disorders can make a significant difference in symptom relief.

Poor circulation

If your hands turn cold, pale, and numb – especially in chilly weather – you might be dealing with Raynaud’s phenomenon. This condition narrows blood vessels, “reducing the amount of blood reaching your hands and feet. The decreased blood flow makes your fingers and toes become numb, cold, pale, and painful,” Healthline writes.

Other issues, like arterial plaque buildup, can also lead to restricted blood flow and numbness.

Simple tip: Stay warm and keep your circulation pumping with light exercises or hand warmers.

Nerve compression

Sometimes, non-cancerous growths like ganglion cysts can press on nerves in your hands, causing numbness or tingling. These cysts may also limit movement or cause joint pain.

Treatment options: From draining cysts to surgery, a healthcare provider can recommend the best course of action.

Infections

Certain infections can directly target nerves, causing tingling hands.

Common offenders:

  • Shingles: Causes nerve inflammation and a painful rash.
  • Lyme disease: Spread through tick bites, it can lead to joint pain and numbness.
  • Antibiotics or antiviral medications are often necessary to treat these conditions.

Hand numbness or tingling can stem from simple lifestyle habits or more serious health issues. While occasional symptoms are usually harmless, persistent or severe cases may require medical attention.

So, the next time your hands feel funny, think about your sleep posture, lifestyle, and overall health. Don’t let numbness keep you in the dark – find the cause and take steps toward relief!

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Animal lover finds squirrel with giant tooth, brings him home and gives him a new opportunity – thank you

Living on a ranch in rural Alberta, Canada, Jannet Talbott may be far away from people but is never alone as she is always surrounded by animals.

The animal lover is used to the many animals, both domestic and wild, who live on her ranch and looks out for them all.

One day she was watching a squirrel enjoying a snack from her bird feeder when she noticed something unusual on his face.

“I could see there was something on the side of his face,” Talbott told The Dodo. “I got closer and thought, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s a massive tooth growing out of his mouth.’”

Squirrels have four front teeth that never stop growing but their constant gnawing on nuts and seeds ensure most squirrels’ teeth are kept short. Somehow this had not happened with this squirrel and Jannet knew he was in danger.

The tooth was growing toward the squirrel’s eye and Jannet suspected he was living on powdered bird food as he couldn’t chew on anything.

Now she had the difficult task of trying to catch Bucky, as she named him, so she could give him the help he needed.

“One day, I saw him in the feeder. It was like divine intervention. I just had to reach in and grab him,” she said. “Once I had him in my hand, I just kept telling him, ‘I’m going to help you, Bucky. You’re going to be OK.’”

When Jannet had the canine challenged squirrel in her hands she saw that it wasn’t just one tooth that was an issue.

“His mouth was an absolute mess. His upper incisors were curled around and growing inside his mouth,” she said. “When he ate, his teeth were rubbing on his face. He was so horrific.”

She worried that if she took Bucky to a vet they may not be able to do anything for him and the journey would stress him out too much so she grabbed her cuticle trimmers and attempted the job herself.

After watching some instructional videos on YouTube, Jannet swaddled Bucky and covered his eyes; he instantly became calm which was lucky for this talented rancher as the job took ten minutes.

Squirrels have no feeling in their teeth and even after she had finished trimming, the squirrel was in “no hurry to get away,” Jannet said, as per CBC Canada.

“I took him outside, and he ran to a branch and started rubbing his little cheeks. It was like he couldn’t believe those teeth were gone. He just kept rubbing his face,” she said.

“The next day, I saw him back in the feeder — and he had the most amazing little squirrel smile on his face. He was just so happy.”

Now Jannet hopes to inspire others to help a needy animal.

“I really feel a deep connection to animals, and they always seem to come to me when they need help,” she added.

“I’m always happy to help them, and I think if we all did a little, it would end up being a lot.”


I cannot imagine how nervous Jannet must have been attempting dentistry on this creature in distress but thank goodness she did as he may have starved to death had she not been brave that day.

Help us thank this animal hero by sharing this story.

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Jane Fonda ‘calls out Donald Trump’ during SAG award speech

Jane Fonda's speech. Credit / Getty Images
Jane Fonda’s speech. Credit / Getty Images

Jane Fonda’s hardly been a stranger to political controversy over the course of her long and storied career. Once dubbed “Hanoi Jane” after being photographed sitting on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun in 1972, it’s fair to say she’s had her fair share of public chastisement.

The actress was also an opinion-splitting figure as far back as the 1960s, when she actively supported the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Panthers to the chagrin of certain sections of society.

This past weekend, Fonda was awarded the Screen Actors’ Guild (SAG) Life Achievement Award, and used part of her speech to throw shade in the direction of President Donald Trump.

With the current political climate in the US testy to say the least, it’s hardly a wonder that many of the country’s biggest celebrities are making their voices heard.

For 87-year-old Fonda, Sunday’s SAG Awards provided the perfect platform to make a statement.

“Thank you SAG AFTRA. Your enthusiasm makes this seem less like a late twilight of my life, and more like a go girl, kick a**. Which is good because I’m not done.” Fonda said.

Though she didn’t directly namedrop President Trump, Fonda referenced Sebastian Stan’s portrayal of him in 2024’s The Apprentice.

Jane Fonda’s speech

“Though you may hate the behavior of your character, you have to understand and empathize with the traumatized person you’re playing,” she said.

The actress proceeded to then defend ‘wokeness’, stating: “Empathy is not weak or ‘woke.’ And, by the way, ‘woke’ just means you give a damn about other people.

“A whole lot of people are going to be hurt by what’s happening, by what’s coming our way,” she continued.”‘We are going to need a big tent to resist what’s coming at us.”

“And even if they are of a different political persuasion, we need to call upon our empathy and not judge, but listen from our hearts, and welcome them into our tent. Because we are gonna need a big tent to resist successfully what’s coming at us.”

Fonda’s comments come in the wake of some turbulent weeks in US politics. Many had anticipated that Trump’s second term in office would mean chaos, but few could have predicted just how fast the apple cart might be tipped upside down.

Amid a slew of executive orders and typically boisterous claims – many of which have questionable ties to reality – Trump has wasted no time at all in trying to enforce large-scale changes, for better or for worse.

His newly-founded Department of Government Efficiency, headed by Elon Musk, has come in for particular criticism in recent days, while Trump’s apparent siding with despot Vladimir Putin in an attempt to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine has caused concern on the international stage.

What did you make of Jane Fonda’s statement? Let us know in the comments.

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A Black baby was born to my wife, and I was by her side forever

There was an almost electric sense of expectancy in the delivery room. Emma, my wife, was lying on the hospital bed with her fingers clenched around mine and a look of excitement mixed with fatigue. A dreamlike atmosphere was created by the quiet voices of the nurses, the regular beeping of the monitors, and the doctor’s gentle words of encouragement.

It was this. The time we had been anticipating. Choosing baby clothes, experiencing small kicks in the middle of the night, and nine months of delight. We spent nine months wondering if our unborn child would have Emma’s golden hair. My angular cheekbones? The dimples that were inherited? Everything else in the room was broken by a piercing wail. The baby was here.

I looked over and saw the doctor gently lifting our baby, her face wrinkled up as she drew her first breaths, her tiny limbs wriggling. My eyes pricked with tears. She was flawless. But Emma’s terrified scream, which I had not anticipated, broke the moment.

“This isn’t my child!” The room became quiet. The nurses froze. The doctor paused in mid-step. I thought my wife would be overwhelmed, perhaps simply in shock from giving birth. However, the expression in her eyes was one of utter incredulity rather than simply fatigue.

In an attempt to maintain composure, one of the nurses gave a soft grin. She remarked, “She’s still attached to you,” as though to reassure my wife that nothing was wrong. Emma, however, gasped for air and shook her head angrily. “It’s not feasible! Never in my life have I dated a Black man!

The words were piercing and weighty as they hung in the air. Everyone was uncertain of how to respond, and the room remained strangely still. As I turned to face our daughter, a gorgeous newborn girl with skin that was substantially darker than either of ours, my heartbeat hammered in my ears. However, her features were definitely ours.

Emma was shaking next to me, and it felt like the whole world was tilting beneath her. I grounded her by squeezing her hand and making her look at me. I stated unequivocally, “She’s our baby,” in a firm voice. “That’s the only thing that counts.”

Emma’s gaze shifted from our daughter to me and back again. As a nurse gently placed the infant in her arms, she gasped. At first, she seemed hesitant to touch her, as though she was scared of something she didn’t comprehend. However, something changed the instant our daughter’s little fingers encircled her pinky.

She loosened her shoulders. Something softer replaced the stiffness in her face. She felt a mixture of relief, tiredness, and love as tears filled her eyes. She let out a trembling breath. She muttered, “She’s gorgeous.” The room seems to breathe once more. The nurses looked at each other but continued working. With a nod, the doctor and I exchanged a quiet agreement.

The days that followed were a haze. I found myself watching our kid nonstop while Emma recovered, trying to figure out what was going on. She had my chin, my nose, and even the same tiny frown I had as a newborn, so I knew without a doubt that she was my. However, Emma’s tirade persisted.

She had been so convinced, not because I had any suspicions or doubts about her. Emma was the first to propose the DNA test. “I just need to know,” she said one evening in a little, nearly embarrassed voice. “I do love her.” But I must comprehend.

So we did it. We waited after sending off the samples. Two weeks later, the results were received. Emma opened the email with shaking hands. My heart was racing as I stood behind her. As she read, she covered her mouth with one hand and gasped.

The screen showed her ancestry record, which in bold letters verified what we had never known: Emma had generations of African ancestry. She turned to face me, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I didn’t know,” she muttered. “All this time, I was unaware.”

I kissed the top of her head as I drew her into my arms. I muttered, “It doesn’t change anything.” “We own her. She was always. Emma laughed softly and drippingly. “I suppose my panic was in vain.” I grinned. “Well, people experience that during childbirth.” She pushed me and rolled her eyes, then turned to face our daughter, who was now soundly asleep in her cradle. There were no more questions after that. Just love. The world had its questions, of course.

Members of the family arched their brows. In supermarket stores, strangers made remarks on the discrepancies. “Is she adopted?” some even questioned. Emma would initially become uneasy when asked those questions because she wasn’t sure how to react. Then, however, she would smile and declare, “No,” with utter assurance.

We own her. We vowed to nurture our kid with pride in all facets of her background as the years went by. We studied the customs, background, and cultures associated with Emma’s DNA as we dug deeper into her newfound ancestry. We made sure our kid never doubted her place in the world by surrounding her with love.

She played with her fingers while sitting on Emma’s lap one evening when she was around five years old. She said, “Mommy?” “What causes my skin to differ from yours?” Emma brushed a curl from her forehead and grinned. “Because you are unique, my dear. You had a lovely past that we both shared. “Like a mix?” she tilted her head in question. “Exactly,” I remarked as I sat next to them. “Like the most exquisite painting, with both Mommy’s and Daddy’s colours.” Satisfied with the response, she smiled and resumed playing.

“Thank you for reminding me that day in the hospital,” Emma muttered as she sought for my hand as we watched her sleep that night. “For what purpose?” “That she belongs to us,” she declared. “That was all that was ever important.” And I knew without a doubt that I would always be there for them as I gazed at my daughter, who was so lovely and full of love. through each query. through each obstacle. through everything. Because appearances weren’t important in family. It wasn’t.

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