For some reason, my entire left arm and hand feel like they have fallen asleep- !
Question:
For some reason, my entire left arm and hand feel like they have fallen asleep- but for over an hour....?
Is this something I should be worried about? What is going on here? My boyfriend thinks maybe I pinched a nerve? I'm only twenty-one, so I don't think it's anything to do with my heart. (I've heard people have these symptoms during a heart attack.) What do you think??
Answers:
Hmmm... it's hard to say. I would never recommend getting your medical advice from the Internet. To properly diagnose you, a physician would have to physically see you. However, if you need some answers I can give you a few.
First of all an hour is quite a long time. My first recommendation is to visit the ER if it continues. Any numbness does indicate nerve involvement (impingement) like your boyfriend said or possibly a vascular problem like blood flow. So to narrow it down you have to answer some questions. Was I diving recently? Do I have a family history of heart disease? Has this happened before? That's why its best to see a doctor.
If you injured your back it could be a pinched nerve. If you can 't recall a specific mechanism of injury then perhaps it's something else. If your arm isn't cold and blue then we might be able to rule out blood flow problems. If your relatively healthy and active and your diet is somewhat healthy then there's a chance it might not be a heart attack symptom. Especially if you're not a smoker. Although heart attacks or MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION'S, are often associated with the "left arm numbness", you have to look at other symptoms too. Are you fatigue, are you sweating, short of breath, having chest pain, feeling anxious etc.?
If it's a pinched nerve you should have an idea how it got pinched. That would help you relax, if you remembered "Oh yeah I got hurt yesterday playing soccer", or something a long those lines.
Check your circulation, compare your skin color with your right arm. Hopefully it's not something too severe or complicated but you need to see a doctor about it.
Good luck!