causes of numbness in both arms and hands
By Mayo Clinic Staff. Hand numbness is usually caused by damage, irritation or compression of one of the nerves or a branch of one of the nerves in your arm and wrist. Diseases affecting the peripheral nerves, such as diabetes, also can cause numbness, although with diabetes similar symptoms usually occur first in your feet. In very uncommon instances, numbness can be caused by problems in your brain or spinal cord, although in such cases arm or hand weakness or loss of function also occurs.
Numbness in the Hands. Numbness in the hands is a sensation of loss of feelings in the hands, often referred to as falling asleep. Symptoms of hand numbness are tingling, pins-and-needles, prickling sensations. Sleeping on your hands or holding your hands above your head for a long period of time will cause numbness.
Below is a list of causes of peripheral neuropathies with arm or leg numbness or tingling as common symptoms: 1  Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (in diabetes I or II): âstocking-gloveâ (feet-hands) pattern of numbness. 2  Alcoholic neuropaty: long term excessive alcohol drinking, burning feet, wide-based gait.