At What Age Can You Develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Posted on 04/12/2022

What is carpal tunnel syndrome? This is a disorder that occurs due to pressure in the median nerve. Your median nerve is responsible for sensation in your wrist, hand, and forearm. The nerve originates from your forearm and goes all the way to your hand.

 

This passageway is also known as the carpal tunnel. Carpal tunnel syndrome usually affects your wrists and hands. It can affect either hand or both.

 

Signs and symptoms of this disorder include:

 

• Pain and a burning sensation in your arms
   

• Muscle weakness (hand muscles)
   

• Numbness and tingling feeling in your thumb
   

• Pain in the wrists
  
   

What Causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

The pressure exerted on the median nerve can cause weakness, numbness, and tingling in your arm and hand. What can lead to this pressure or compression? Compression in the median nerve can be caused by a series of underlying medical conditions, such as:

 

• Inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis
   

• Diabetes
   

• High blood pressure
   

• Thyroid dysfunction
   

• Obesity
  
   

These medical conditions link to risk factors that likely cause pressure or irritation on the median nerve.

 

Who Might Develop Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

This disorder is commonly known to affect women. This is because they have a smaller carpal tunnel area than men. Pregnancy and menopause also put women at risk of developing this disorder. This is due to hormonal changes and the accumulation of fluids that contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome.

 

Also, some occupations that involve strenuous wrist movement can contribute to this disorder. Fields such as construction, keyboarding, and manufacturing can strain the wrist. Individuals with careers in those fields can develop carpal tunnel syndrome.

 

Lifestyle practices such as smoking and a high salt intake may also increase the risk of developing this condition.

 

Most people develop the condition between the age of 30 and 60. Your chances of developing carpal tunnel syndrome increase as you get older. This disorder can affect anyone, but having this condition before 20 is very rare and unusual.

 

How to Treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

The treatment for this condition depends on the severity of your symptoms. In severe cases, surgical treatment is ideal. Surgical treatment involves reducing the compression on the median nerve. This is possible by cutting the wrist tissues across the median nerve.

 

In addition, there are other nonsurgical approaches to this condition. They include using wrist splints and taking inflammation medication. Some injections also help reduce pain and inflammation. Other doctors may treat the underlying conditions likely to cause carpal tunnel syndrome.

 

How Can You Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

You can circumvent this disorder by avoiding strenuous wrist activities. You can also choose to treat your underlying conditions linked to carpal tunnel syndrome. It is advisable to make necessary changes to your lifestyle to reduce your chances of developing this disorder. Taking part in physical exercises can be of great help. Remember, prevention is better than cure!

 

For more on carpal tunnel syndrome, contact East Bay Hand & Upper Extremity at our office in Oakland, California. You can call 510-904-1100 to book an appointment today.