Many people are scared of getting Heart Attack if they have tingling sensation or numbness in left arm. However, it is the only symptom of getting an attack. It is natural to get upset and uncomfortable for a person if he experience tingling in left arm. Why there is tingling pain on the left arm or left hand? Whether it is indicative of getting heart attack?
Heart attack normally follows the symptoms of squeezing pain in the chest, restlessness, confusion, high Blood Pressure and profuse sweating. But there are some people who get silent massive attack without any of these symptoms. The pain originating in the chest region will radiate towards left shoulder and arm and spreads on the back. In addition the person may feel breathless and may have tingling pain in left arm.
This sort of pain can be ignored if you get it rarely but it can be indicative of serious disorder if it becomes chronic. You need to seek medical advice if you have regular tingling in left arm since it can be due to cardiovascular problem.
Diagnoses :
Your doctor will examine the body and analyze the symptoms. He may take electrocardiogram test for ruling out any abnormalities in the heart function.
Causes :
Tingling in left arm can be caused due to circulatory problems. Many people feel numbness and tingling sensation in left arm when they wake up after sleeping in awkward position of keeping their arm. The arm may have reduced blood supply due to the wrong position. There may be heavy or fullness of the arm before it begins to tingle. Some people may have difficulty in moving the left arm when they become numb or heavy.
It can occur due to muscle spasms. Many times, left arm tingling feeling is due to psychological disorder. Individuals taking medications for Bipolar Disorder or Depression may have such feeling. In other words, this could be imaginative feeling for many people affected with psychosomatic problems. People who are in anxiety attack or deep stress may also experience tingling pain in left arm and shoulder.
This pain can also be caused by prolapsed mitral valve (in the heart) which can be treated, if diagnosed. In simple terms, tingling pain or feeling can be nothing to worry if you get it infrequently but the same feeling can become serious posing danger to your life if it occurs or felt regularly.
Symptoms :
The affected person will have tingling sensation or numbness in his left arm or hand. The pain may be sudden in unexpected moments usually after waking up from sleep.
People having recurrent pain and numbness in left shoulder or arm should consult the doctor immediately since it can be something serious.
Treatment :
Treatment depends entirely on the symptoms and additional signs reported by the patient. If there are symptoms like breathlessness, rapid palpitation and sweating along with tingling in left arm it can be heart attack or Angina pain.
In case the pain is caused due to nervous problem or circulatory problem then your physician will prescribe suitable medicines for curing it. For people with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome getting tingling pain in left arm can be side effect of medicines. In that case, alternative drugs are prescribed. If it is due to diabetic neuropathy then your doctor will give right doses of medications to control blood sugar and to avoid nervous problem.
For getting immediate relief, you can apply ice pack on the left arm for some time. But it is advised to seek medical help if you get tingling pain regularly since it needs thorough physical examination.
