Numbness in the fingers often results from issues involving the nerves or blood vessels supplying the area.

Finger numbness can vary based on the cause, ranging from tingling or "pins and needles" to a complete loss of sensation.

Depending on the cause, it can happen intermittently or persistently and may be accompanied by weakness or difficulty gripping objects.

What Causes Finger Numbness?

Numbness in the fingers isn't a condition alone; it is a symptom of various medical conditions that involve nerves and blood vessels in your hand, such as diabetes, carpal tunnel syndrome, and others.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic health condition that develops when your pancreas doesn't make enough insulin (type 1) or when your body becomes resistant to insulin (type 2).

Your body uses insulin to process glucose (sugar) in your blood. In diabetes, sugar builds up in your blood, leading to hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). A type of diabetes that involves high blood sugar levels during pregnancy is gestational diabetes.

Diabetes can damage your blood vessels over time, especially if your blood sugar levels are uncontrolled for a long time. Tingling and numbness in the hands and feet have been linked to diabetes.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when your median nerve is compressed at the wrist. The median nerve travels from your forearm to your palm through a tight space called the carpal tunnel. The nerve is responsible for sensation in your thumb, index, middle, and part of the ring finger. It doesn't affect the pinkie finger.

Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome typically begin gradually. Symptoms may include numbness or tingling in your thumb, index, and middle fingers. Symptoms usually appear at night and might improve during the day. Symptoms can become persistent, worsening with certain activities.

Additional symptoms may happen over time and include:

• Numbness or tingling during activities like talking on the phone, reading, or driving
• Weakness in the hand
• Fingers feel numb all the time
• Difficulty grasping small objects like buttons and zippers

Raynaud's Syndrome

Raynaud's syndrome occurs when blood flow to the fingers and toes is severely restricted due to cold conditions or emotional stress. When your body is cold, it naturally limits blood flow to your skin to conserve heat. This response is exaggerated in Raynaud's syndrome. Raynaud's syndrome can occur on its own or as part of another disease, like lupus.