I have numbness in my left hand. Could it be heart-related?

Question

Hello doctor,

I need help differentiating between a cardiovascular issue, such as cardiomyopathy, and a pinched nerve. I sleep on my left arm and have experienced numbness in my left pinky finger for maybe a couple of months, and it has recently extended to the next finger.

However, I used to have a very severe issue with cocaine use, and that is notorious for tearing away at the heart and its related counterparts, with my last use not being too long ago. It is only in my left hand, and I experience no other general symptoms of heart disease, but I am still worried either way.

Kindly help.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern, especially with your history of cocaine use. The symptoms you describe are more likely due to nerve compression, particularly the ulnar nerve, since you are experiencing numbness in the little finger and the adjacent finger. Sleeping on your arm can actually worsen it.

Let me clarify that cardiac issues or cardiomyopathy do not present with isolated numbness like this. They usually have symptoms like chest discomfort, breathlessness on exertion, swelling in the legs, exercise intolerance, etc., which you do not have. So, it is clear that your symptoms are definitely not due to a heart issue.

Nevertheless, let us not dismiss the cardiac risk because of your history of cocaine use, as it may cause high BP (blood pressure), arrhythmias, and cardiomyopathy. It is worth having a basic cardiac evaluation with an ECG (electrocardiogram) and an echo (echocardiogram).

To conclude, your symptoms are likely due to nerve compression. So avoid sleeping on your arm. Nerve gliding exercise for the ulnar nerve can provide some relief. If your symptoms persist, then a nerve conduction study can be done to locate the site of nerve compression.

I hope this helps.

Kindly follow up if you have more doubts.

Take care.

Regards.