Why My Left Hand is Paining

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction

2. Left-Hand Pain Reasons

3. Pain in Left Hand and Shoulder

4. Diagnosis and Treatment of Left Hand Pain

5. Home Remedies for Left-Hand Pain

6. When to See a Doctor for Left Hand Pain

7. Take-Home Points

8. FAQs on Why My Left Hand is Paining

Introduction

If you're wondering why your left hand is paining, then you are at the right place, and the pain can be due to muscle, tissue or bone injury, or it could be a sign of a heart attack. Therefore, it becomes important to differentiate between when to seek emergency medical help and when to not. 

Left-hand pain is an aching sensation or soreness which can range from mild to severe. In this article, we will discuss the causes of left-hand pain, why there is left-hand pain in the first place, and what left-hand pain due to a heart attack looks like etc.

Left-Hand Pain Reasons

Left-hand pain can be due to various reasons ranging from benign conditions to serious conditions like a heart attack. Here are reasons for left-hand pain and characteristics to differentiate between each of them:

1. Heart attack: Heart attack happens when there is a reduced blood supply to heart muscles leading to death of cardiac muscles. Most of the time, heart attack is caused by the narrowing of blood vessels due to atherosclerosis or plaque formation. These plaques can break and block the blood vessels.

Left-hand pain can be a symptom of a heart attack because the sensory nerve supplying the left hand and the heart reach the same cells of the brain. Therefore, the brain recognises heart attack as left-hand pain. American Heart Association advises seeking emergency medical help if the following symptoms are noted:

Heaviness or discomfort in the centre of the chest lasting for a few minutes. Chest discomfort accompanied by tightness and fullness, gradually building pain, and increased pressure are common symptoms of heart attack.

• Dyspnea which refers to shortness of breath

• Nausea or vomiting with these symptoms pain radiating to the left hand, back, neck, jaw and lower abdomen can signal a heart attack.

1. Angina: In simple words, Angina pain is when the heart is crying for more oxygen because there is a narrowing of a blood vessel or an adequate amount of oxygen is not reaching the heart muscles. Angina is not a heart attack but it can present in many of the underlying hard conditions like cardiomyopathy, valvular diseases of the heart and underlying atherosclerosis.

 The pain of angina can be localized to the heart or it can also radiate to:

• arms 

• neck 

• jaw

• back

It becomes important to seek help in case of angina. You can experience angina pain at rest or on exertion. Pain at rest is dangerous as it is a sign of acute coronary occlusion called unstable angina.

Stable angina is less severe. If angina occurs for at least 2 months consistently and only during physical activity or exertion, it is called stable angina. 

1. Radiating pain due to underlying trauma: Apart from these serious conditions, left-hand pain can be due to trauma to rest or hand during an accident or physical activity. Pain from the wrist or hand can radiate to affect the limb.

2. Bursitis: Bursae are small fluid-filled sacs present around joints to provide a cushioning effect like the joint fluid (synovial fluid). Bursitis is inflammation of the bursa either due to overuse of a joint or due to infection. Left arm pain from shoulder to hand can be due to shoulder bursitis.

3. Median Nerve Compression: Left-hand pain can also be due to nerve compression. Most often, people working in an office experience tingling and pain in their hands due to median nerve compression under the ligaments of soft tissue because of continuous typing or similar work. 

4. Tendonitis: Tendon connects muscle to bone. Tendonitis is inflammation of the tendon which can be due to repetitive use of a particular joint. Shoulder or elbow tendonitis can present as left-hand pain. Tendonitis is seen in tennis players, swimmers and musicians.

5. Cervical stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal canal of the cervical region or neck region can cause left-hand pain and weakness if left-sided spinal nerves are affected. People experiencing cervical problems may also experience neck pains.

6. Anxiety: Sometimes, anxiety can cause pain and may even lessen the existing pain.

7. Rotator cuff tear: Rotator cuffs are a group of muscles which hold the shoulder joint in place and allow a range of motions. During vigorous throwing of the ball or sports activity, one can undergo a rotator cuff tear. It can lead to left-hand pain if left-sided muscles are affected.

8. Fracture: A fracture of the upper limb can cause hand pain and even left-hand pain if the left arm, forearm or hand bones are broken. Symptoms of fracture include pain, deformity and swelling. In case of fracture, it is important to seek medical help for proper reduction of fracture and to prevent complications.

9. Disc prolapse: The intervertebral disc sits in between two vertebrae to provide a cushioning effect. If the intervertebral disc is ruptured or proteins come out, it can impinge on the nerves, leading to left-hand pain.

We have answered your question:  "why my left hand is paining?" These are the possible causes of left-hand pain, but it is important to note that never try to self-diagnose or presume left-hand pain to be caused because of heart disease. Always seek medical help if you are feeling distress and pain in your left hand. 

Pain in Left Hand and Shoulder

Left-hand shoulder pain can be due to various reasons we have discussed above apart from these it can be due to:

• Referred pain: You may experience referred pain to the shoulder in case of abdominal problems like gallstones, cervical spondylosis, osteoarthritis, etc.

• Tendonitis: As discussed above, left-hand shoulder pain can be due to repeated use of the shoulder joint. 

• Nerve problems: Nerve compression or irritation can cause pain in the left hand and shoulder.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Left Hand Pain

Left-hand pain is due to a variety of conditions. Therefore, it becomes important to treat and diagnose because of left-hand pain. For diagnosing left hand pain your doctor may use: 

1. Detailed clinical history

2. MRI 

3. Ultrasound

4.  Nerve conduction studies

5.  ECG and  echocardiography

Treatment of left-hand pain depends upon the cause:

1. In the case of heart disease, treatment includes treating the underlying cause like valve replacement medications to decrease the oxygen demand of the heart, etc.

2. Reduction and fixation of fracture in case of broken bones.

3. Physiotherapy in case of disc prolapse.

4. Anti-inflammatory drugs and Rest in case of tendonitis or bursitis.

Home Remedies for Left-Hand Pain

If you have a non-serious cause of left-hand pain, you can try home remedies to cure your left-hand pain. Here are some home remedies to try: 

1. Ice packs: You can use ice packs on the sour area 3 to 4 times a day for 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Taking a sunbath: Taking sunbathing a few hours a day may increase vitamin D levels and prevent degenerative bone diseases.

3. Over-the-counter medications: Over-the-counter drugs like NSAIDs are used for relieving pain.

4. Exercise: Stretching exercises like yoga can help relieve muscle pain.

When to See a Doctor for Left Hand Pain

It becomes important to see a doctor in case of left-hand pain. If you are experienced in the following conditions, then you need to seek medical help:

1. Pain with exertion and relieved on rest

2. Pain due to trauma

3. Heaviness in the chest accompanied by left-hand pain radiating to the jaw or neck.

4. Pain that is not relieving on rest

5. If you are experiencing hand drop in which you are unable to move your palm up or down.

6. Sudden and severe left-hand pain

Take-Home Points

1. Left-hand pain can be due to various reasons like heart attack, angina, radiation pain due to trauma tendonitis, bursitis, median compression tendonitis, cervical stenosis, anxiety, rotator cuff tear, etc.

2. Left-hand pain due to a heart attack is usually accompanied by heaviness or tightness in the chest.

3. Pain due to angina can also radiate to the left hand. Angina is not a heart attack.

4. Pain in the left hand and shoulder can be due to referred pain, tendonitis and nerve problems.

5. It is important to seek medical help in case of left-hand pain for detailed clinical evaluation.

6. Treatment of left-hand pain depends on the underlying cause.

7. You can try home remedies for left-hand pain like ice packs, sunbathing exercises, and over-the-counter medications. If you have a non-serious cause of left-hand pain after evaluation by your doctor.