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Numbness In Right Hand, Unable To Left Weights, BP Medication, Risk Of Stroke

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Posted on Mon, 1 Oct 2012
Question: Hi, Its regarding my father's who is facing neurological disorders in his right hand extending till shoulders..he feels his right hand to be sometimes numb and faces difficulty to lift even a .5kg weight. this problem has started since last year and is growing day by day as he says...moreover couple of months back his elder brother who is nearly 63 years old had an paralysis attack which crippled his whole left half..so its concerning for us...kindly advice what treatment should we go on for and whom to consult for the best treatment...Just to add, my fathers details:
AGE:: 59
Height :: 5'8''
Weight :: nearly 75
doctor
Answered by Dr. Jasvinder Singh (14 minutes later)
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query. It will be very helpful for me in understanding your father’s condition better if you could answer some of these questions:

1)     Has he got his blood sugar levels checked and has he got a history of diabetes?
2)     Is he taking some medicines?
3)     Has he got a cardiac check done recently?

From the symptoms that you have described, One possibility that needs to be ruled out is of carpal tunnel syndrome. In this the median nerve is compressed at the wrist, leading to pain, paresthesias (numbness and tingling) and muscle weakness in the forearm and hand. The second possibility that I can think of is due to diabetes, EKG heart, vitamin B 12 levels and a neurological examination from a neurologist done. He can eat a healthy diet consisting more of meat and non veg products which are XXXXXXX sources of vitamin B 12. If he is a vegetarian then he can take vitamin B 12 supplements after consulting his physician.

Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries. Wishing you good health.






Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Jasvinder Singh (3 hours later)
Hi Sir,
Thanks for the elaborate reply. First of all would like to answer your questions:
1) Has he got his blood sugar levels checked and has he got a history of diabetes?
---- >> No, he doesn't have any history of being diabetic and has got his sugar level checked recently and that came out as normal
2) Is he taking some medicines?
------ >> He has been taking ENVAS tablets for long (nearly 7 years now). I suppose the tablet is for maintaining blood pressure.
3) Has he got a cardiac check done recently?
---- >> Yes. His cardiac functioning also is normal.

Just wanted to ask you if this problem can be hereditary as you can see in my earlier post i mentioned about his elder brother having a paralysis attack recently. Moreover, speaking, I can mention that my father doesn't have any smoking,drinking habits and he is a pure vegetarian. I wonder if the age is taking it's toll on him but seems unlikely coz 59 years can't be considered as the culprit.

Can you please suggest me if we should go for a full neuro diagnosis of his and anything more needs to be done.

Thanks & Regards,
XXXXXXX
doctor
Answered by Dr. Jasvinder Singh (15 hours later)
Hi XXXXXXX

Thanks for the clarification. It is good that his blood sugar levels are normal. The symptoms that you have described point towards a neurological cause and neurological causes are not hereditary. However since he is on antihypertensives, he is at a risk of any plaque formation and thrombus formation in the blood vessels of the brain which can cause any impending stroke attack. His elder brother has also had the same which in layman terms is called paralysis.

For this he needs to keep his blood pressure under control by getting it monitored regularly and a regular follow up and cardiac examination needs to be done. He has to adopt a healthy lifestyle by eating less oily foods and going out for morning walks of atleast 45 minutes.

For these symptoms, you need to consult a neurologist for your father and get a complete neurological examination and investigations like NCV (nerve conduction velocity) and vitamin B 12 levels done.

Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries. Wishing you good health.


Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
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Dr. Jasvinder Singh

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1998

Answered : 1578 Questions

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Numbness In Right Hand, Unable To Left Weights, BP Medication, Risk Of Stroke

Hello,
Thanks for posting your query. It will be very helpful for me in understanding your father’s condition better if you could answer some of these questions:

1)     Has he got his blood sugar levels checked and has he got a history of diabetes?
2)     Is he taking some medicines?
3)     Has he got a cardiac check done recently?

From the symptoms that you have described, One possibility that needs to be ruled out is of carpal tunnel syndrome. In this the median nerve is compressed at the wrist, leading to pain, paresthesias (numbness and tingling) and muscle weakness in the forearm and hand. The second possibility that I can think of is due to diabetes, EKG heart, vitamin B 12 levels and a neurological examination from a neurologist done. He can eat a healthy diet consisting more of meat and non veg products which are XXXXXXX sources of vitamin B 12. If he is a vegetarian then he can take vitamin B 12 supplements after consulting his physician.

Hope this answers your query. If you have additional questions or follow up queries then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your queries. Wishing you good health.