Symptoms may include:
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Tingling
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Burning
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Numbness
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Weakness
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Reduced coordination
Although alcohol-related neuropathy often affects the legs first, the hands can also become involved.
If you're experiencing unexplained numbness and regularly consume large amounts of alcohol, discussing your symptoms honestly with a healthcare professional can help identify possible causes.
11. Anxiety and Rapid Breathing Can Cause Tingling
Not every episode of tingling indicates nerve damage.
Anxiety and panic can cause physical symptoms, including tingling in the hands.
During intense anxiety, some people begin breathing more rapidly than usual.
Changes in breathing can alter carbon dioxide levels in the blood and contribute to sensations such as:
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Tingling around the mouth
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Tingling in the hands
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Lightheadedness
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Dizziness
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Chest tightness
The sensation may improve as breathing slows and the person becomes calmer.
However, anxiety should not automatically be used to explain new or unexplained neurological symptoms.
If numbness keeps occurring outside of anxiety episodes, or if it is associated with weakness or other neurological changes, it deserves appropriate evaluation.
12. Carpal Tunnel and Other Nerve Problems Can Become More Noticeable at Night
Nighttime hand numbness deserves particular attention because several nerve compression conditions become more noticeable during sleep.
When you're asleep, you may keep your wrists or elbows bent for long periods without realizing it.
This can increase pressure around nerves.
If you repeatedly wake up with numbness, try observing which fingers are affected.
Thumb, index, and middle fingers
This pattern can be associated with the median nerve and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Ring and little fingers
This pattern may point toward the ulnar nerve.
The entire hand or hand plus arm
This can have several possible explanations, including a problem higher up in the arm or neck.
These patterns aren't enough to diagnose a condition on their own, but they can provide useful information for a healthcare professional.