Do you feel the pain in left hand? If yes then it might be a referred pain and might be a symptom for an underlying disease. It can also be due to the injury or anxiety too. There are many left-hand pain reason. Let’s look into what is left hand pain and what are the left hand pain reasons.

In this post, we will be discussing left hand pain; its causes, symptoms and when would be the best time to consult a medical professional.

Why do I have left hand pain?

Do you wonder why you feel left hand pain. Here are some of the reasons for having a left hand pain. Aging is also a common part of minor pain in the left hand. Yet sudden or unusual left hand pain can be a symptom of a significant medical condition. It can be a symptom of a lesion that must be treated or in the worst case of a heart attack (left arm pain also comes into play in these circumstances).

Having knowledge of the possible causes and characteristics of left hand pain can help a person detect the reaction of the body and assess when medical treatment is needed.

 Left Hand Pain causes

There are many reasons why you may have left hand pain, numbness, or weakness in your left hand. If you have pain in your left arm, you should let a doctor first examine it as soon as possible. So, to remove the worry of having something fatal conditions such as a heart attack. The pain can occur both physically and psychologically. Here are a few known causes of pain in left hand:

1. Anxiety

Anxiety can cause hand pain. Anxiety will intensify the pain if another illness is already affecting the pain. For instance, if you are not sure about the cause of the suffering, anxiety can make you vulnerable to seemingly insignificant pain. If pain is previously involved, it could become worse, as it could be a symptom to a more serious problem.

Related hand pain is not a singular symptom of anxiety. But, it generally is a big anxiety issue.

2. Heart attack

Initial symptoms of a heart attack also involve a sudden left arm pain which also causes the pains in the left hand, which within a few minutes becomes severe. Additional heart attack signs are:

• Inconvenience in the middle of the chest.
• Jack, collar, back or stomach pain
• Being Breathless out of a sudden
• Blurry vision
• Becoming lightheaded
• Cold sweating

A heart attack is a serious life threat. In accordance with those other signs, you can call 911 or your countries emergency health line number if you encounter left arm pain. It is fatal and quick measures to be taken to save one’s life.

3. Angina

Angina happens when an inadequate amount of oxygen reaches the heart. Angina may cause left-hand pain often followed by a sense of discomfort in the shoulder, neck, back, or jaw.

Angina is also a symptom and should be taken seriously of coronary artery disease. Consult a doctor for a correct diagnosis of angina on your left hand pain and other signs.

4. Standard Injury

Pain in left arm may be a bone or tissue injury symptom. Injuries that most probably occur are:

5. Dislocation of the hand:

Due to some injury and trauma to your left hand it may be dislocated which can cause a pain in your left hand. If so seek for medical care before the condition gets worse.

6. De Quervain’s tenosynovitis:

The tendons around the thumb are weakened by a painful disease. Swelling in your thumb’s two tendons causes the tendons around the region to get inflamed.

7. Carpal tunnel syndrome:

In this syndrome there is the compression of one of the nerves

• Arthritis

It is the swelling and tenderness of one or more of your joints.

•  Gout

 It is a common and complex form of arthritis that can affect anyone

• Lupus

It is an autoimmune systemic disease that occurs when your own tissues and organs are damaged by your own immune system.

What is the treatment for left hand pain incorporated with anxiety?

If your doctor decides that anxiety triggers your left hand pain after a detailed examination, the medication prescribed will most probably be accompanied by other anxiety treatment guidelines.

Therapy may include:

• Make improvements in lifestyle, such as daily workouts, a healthy diet, and ample sleep to relieve stress.
• CBT centred on noticing, learning, and modifying the patterns of your thought and behaviour.
• Treatment for anti-anxiety.

Common medicines for anti-anxiety include:

Here are some anti-anxiety medication that might be prescribed if the pain is triggered and worsened by anxiety.

• SSRIs, which leave more serotonin accessible in the organism to boost mood selective serotonin reuptake
• Inhibitors of serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake (SNRIs) increasing serotonin and norepinephrine levels to boost mood.
• Alprazolam, clonazepam, diazepam, and lorazepam benzodiazepines that alleviate physical effects, such as muscle stress.
• Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) such as amitriptyline, imipramine, and nortriptyline, which promote relaxation and address physical symptoms

When to see a doctor

You may wonder when you seek medical care if there is left hand pain. Here are some conditions you should look out for. You should seek emergency care if your left arm pain is:

• Immediate
• Serious.  
• Pressure in your chest has built up
• You should see your doctor as quickly as possible if your left hand:
• Has discomfort with exercise, but is relieved when you rest
• Gets sudden injuries (especially when a snapping sound accompanies them)
• Extreme pain and swelling
• Difficulties moving from one place to another
• You can prepare your visit to the doctor’s office as soon as possible if your left hand:
• Still has pain that will not diminish after rest or ice
• growing in the damaged area redness, swelling or incommodity
• You feel like you have discomfort due to anxiety

Home remedies for left hand pain

Home remedies can cure hand injuries before you even reach your local hospital!  If you assume your hand is broken, use a sleeve to immobilize it and use ice packets to wait for medical treatment. These medical remedies can save your condition from getting bad to worse.

Many other forms of hand pain may improve themselves. But it can help if you do following home remedies: 

• Take time off daily activities that can wear out your hand.
• Three times a day for 15 – 20 minutes use an ice pack on the sore region
•  Treating swelling by using a compression bandage  
• Raise the hand        

 Takeaway

Left hand pain is not necessarily a sign of heart failure or angina. All the following reasons are very important to consider as they might be cause of an underlying disease. If breathlessness, nausea, chest pain, and dizziness follow hand pain, it is important to seek urgent medical attention.

Individuals with heart disease signs should take precautions to minimize the risk of severe complications, such as stroke and cardiac attack.

These acts include changes in lifestyle, treatment, and surgery, if necessary.

These improvements at first can be daunting, but can also stop further heart damage and attacks.

We hope you found this blog post helpful and if you are suffering from any of the reasons above, please visit a doctor at your earliest convenience.