Health
Ask a doc: 'Why are my fingers tingling and what can I do to stop it?'
Tingling fingers can be uncomfortable and somewhat of a nuisance, especially if this interferes with your daily activities or interrupts your sleep.
Individuals describe tingling as a “pins and needles” sensation, similar to when fingers fall asleep after leaning on an elbow too long, Kerry Levin, M.D., chair of the department of neurology at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, told Fox News Digital.
Here’s a deeper dive.
What are some causes of the condition?
There are many possible causes of tingling fingers.
In some cases, the condition can stem from an isolated incident.
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“It can occur with anxiety or leaning on a body part too long,” said Levin, who is also a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.
“These symptoms go away by themselves when the trigger goes away.”
Tingling fingers can be uncomfortable and somewhat of a nuisance, especially if this interferes with your daily activities or interrupts sleep. (iStock)
Beyond an isolated occurrence, the most common neurological causes are carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar nerve compression at the elbow, or a pinched nerve in the neck, according to the doctor.
When a nerve is compressed or damaged, it interrupts signals along the nerve from the skin up to the brain.
Those signals can then register as pain or uncomfortable sensations, according to Levin.
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The most common cause of tingling fingers is usually carpal tunnel, according to Jesus Lizarzaburu, M.D., a family physician at TPMG Grafton Family Medicine in Yorktown, Virginia.
“Doing something repetitive with your wrists and hands can lead to inflammation of the nerve through the carpal tunnel, which is a fixed space in that specific area,” he told Fox News Digital.
“As the nerve swells, the pressure on the nerve itself increases, which makes the tingling worse.”
When a nerve is compressed or damaged, it interrupts signals along the nerve from the skin up to the brain. Those signals can then register as pain or uncomfortable sensations. (iStock)
Additional medical reasons can also cause tingling fingers.
The condition can result from poorly controlled diabetes, which may cause damage to the nerves and lead to a condition called diabetic neuropathy, noted Lizarzaburu.
This usually affects the feet first and the hands later.
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Another potential cause is deficiency in vitamins B12, B6 or E, which can affect nerve function and cause tingling, the doctor said.
Infection or inflammation in conditions such as Lyme disease, shingles or inflammation of the nerves (neuritis) can also be culprits.
Treatments to alleviate tingling
There are some measures you can take to manage the tingling in your fingers, according to experts.
One is to pay attention to the motions that led to the tingling and try to avoid the triggering event.
Maintaining a healthy weight and staying active can also help, Lizarzaburu said.
Once a diagnosis is made, there may be treatment available for the specific cause of the tingling in the fingers. (iStock)
Doctors also recommend staying hydrated by drinking water regularly.
It’s also important to manage existing health conditions.
“If you do have diabetes, be sure to manage it through diet and proper medication provided by your family physician,” Lizarzaburu recommended.
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For issues like carpal tunnel syndrome, performing stretching exercises, getting physical therapy or wearing wrist splints overnight are good initial treatment options, the doctor said.
If symptoms persist, surgery may be necessary in some cases.
When should you see a doctor?
Symptoms that are brief and infrequent are usually not worrisome, Levin said.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common neurological causes of tingling fingers. (iStock)
If symptoms are getting worse — or are heightened by coughing, straining or with neck or arm movement — this could signal a neurological problem that needs to be checked, the doctor advised.
Aside from a thorough physical examination, the medical provider may opt to perform MRI imaging or electrical nerve testing.
Once a diagnosis is made, there may be treatment available for the specific cause, such as exercises for a pinched nerve in the neck or a wrist splint for carpal tunnel syndrome, Levin noted.
If conservative treatments aren’t effective, surgery may provide relief, he added.
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The key to feeling better in a fast, overstimulated world might be surprisingly simple: Live a little more like your grandparents.
A growing social media trend, dubbed “nonnamaxxing,” draws inspiration from the slower, more intentional rhythms associated with an Italian grandmother.
The lifestyle is often linked to activities like preparing home-cooked meals, spending time outdoors and making meaningful connections.
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“Nonnamaxxing is a 2026 trend that embraces the slower, more intentional lifestyle of an Italian grandmother (a Nonna). Think cooking from scratch, long family meals, daily walks, gardening and less screen time,” Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian, told Fox News Digital.
Nonnamaxxing, derived from the name for an Italian grandmother, is a trend that incorporates lifestyle habits hundreds of years in the making. (iStock)
Stepping away from screens and toward real-world interaction can have measurable benefits, according to California-based psychotherapist Laurie Singer.
“We know that interacting with others in person, rather than spending time on screens, significantly improves mental health,” she told Fox News Digital, adding that social media often fuels comparison and lowers self-esteem.
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Living more like previous generations isn’t purely driven by nostalgia. Cooking meals from scratch, for example, has been linked to better nutrition and more mindful eating patterns.
Adopting traditional mealtime habits can improve diet quality and support both physical and mental health, especially when meals are shared regularly with others, Palinski-Wade noted.
One longevity expert stresses that staying healthy isn’t just about food — it’s also about joy and community. (iStock)
There’s also a psychological benefit to slowing down and focusing on one task at a time. Anxiety often stems from unfinished or avoided tasks, Singer noted, and engaging in hands-on activities can counteract that.
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“Nonnamaxxing encourages us to be present around a task, like gardening, baking or knitting, or just taking a mindful walk, that delivers something ‘real,’” she said.
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Palinski-Wade cautions against turning the trend into another source of pressure, noting that a traditional “nonna” lifestyle often assumes a different pace of life.
The key, she said, is adapting the mindset, not replicating it perfectly.
Nonnamaxxing, derived from the name for an Italian grandmother, is a trend that incorporates lifestyle habits hundreds of years in the making. (iStock)
The goal is to reintroduce small, intentional moments that make you feel better.
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That might mean prioritizing a few shared meals each week, taking a walk without your phone or setting aside time for a simple hobby, the expert recommended.
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Singer added, “Having a positive place to escape to, through whatever activities speak to us and make us happy, isn’t generational – it’s human.”
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Feeling lonely may take a toll on older adults’ memory — but it may not speed up cognitive decline, according to a new study.
Researchers from Colombia, Spain and Sweden analyzed data from more than 10,000 adults ages 65 to 94 across 12 European countries and found those who reported higher levels of loneliness did worse on memory tests at the start of the study, according to research published this month in the journal Aging & Mental Health.
Over a seven-year period, however, memory decline occurred at a similar rate regardless of how lonely participants felt.
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“The finding that loneliness significantly impacted memory, but not the speed of decline in memory over time was a surprising outcome,” lead author Dr. Luis Carlos Venegas-Sanabria of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the Universidad del Rosario said in a statement.
Loneliness may be linked to memory performance in older adults, a new study suggests. (iStock)
“It suggests that loneliness may play a more prominent role in the initial state of memory than in its progressive decline,” Venegas-Sanabria said, adding that the findings highlight the importance of addressing loneliness as a factor in cognitive performance.
The findings add to debate about whether loneliness contributes to dementia risk. While loneliness and social isolation are often considered risk factors for cognitive decline, research results have been mixed.
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The study looked at data from the long-running Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), which tracked 10,217 older adults between 2012 and 2019. Participants were asked to recall words immediately and after a delay to measure memory performance.
Social isolation and loneliness could play a surprising role in cognitive health among seniors. (iStock)
Loneliness was assessed using three questions about how often participants felt isolated, left out or lacking companionship.
About 8% of participants reported high levels of loneliness at the outset. That group tended to be older, more likely to be female and more likely to have conditions such as depression.
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Researchers found that those with higher loneliness had lower scores on both immediate and delayed memory tests at baseline. Still, all groups — regardless of loneliness level — experienced similar declines in memory over time.
The results suggest loneliness may not directly accelerate the progression of memory loss, though it remains linked to poorer cognitive performance overall.
Researchers look at a brain scan at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
Experts warn, however, that the findings should not be interpreted to mean loneliness is harmless.
“The finding that lonely older adults start with worse memory but don’t decline faster is actually the most interesting part of the paper, and I think it’s easy to misread,” said Jordan Weiss, Ph.D., a scientific advisor and aging expert at Assisted Living Magazine and a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
“It likely means loneliness does its damage earlier in life, well before people show up in a study like this at 65-plus,” Weiss told Fox News Digital.
By older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold, an aging expert says. (iStock)
He suggested that by older age, long-term social patterns may already be established, making it harder to detect when the effects of loneliness first took hold.
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“By the time you’re measuring someone in their late 60s, decades of social connection patterns are already baked in,” he said.
Weiss, who was not involved in the research, added that loneliness may coincide with other health conditions, and noted that participants who felt more isolated also had higher rates of depression, high-blood pressure and diabetes. The link, he said, may reflect a cluster of health risks rather than a direct cause.
“While they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia,” a psychotherapist says. (iStock)
Amy Morin, a Florida-based psychotherapist and author, said the findings reflect a broader pattern in research on loneliness and brain health, and that the relationship may be more complex than it appears.
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“The evidence shows there’s a link between loneliness and cognitive decline but there’s no direct evidence of a cause and effect relationship,” she said. “So while they can go hand-in-hand, it’s not clear that loneliness contributes to dementia.”
Morin added that loneliness, which can fluctuate, may not be the root of the problem, but rather a symptom of other underlying mental or physical health issues.
Researchers suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging. (iStock)
She said staying socially and mentally engaged is crucial for overall brain health.
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“It’s important to be proactive about social activities,” Morin said. “Joining a book club, having coffee with a friend, or attending faith-based services can be a powerful way to maintain connections in older age.”
The researchers also suggested screening for loneliness be incorporated into routine cognitive assessments as one way to support healthy aging.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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