Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, the insidious disease that technology threatens the hands… So what should be done to prevent this disease?

In recent years, the increase in technology use has become a serious threat to our hands, one of our most important organs, even the symbols of our freedom! The rapidly spreading problem is called Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, or in other words, a disease of the hand-wrist canal that is the leading cause of nerve compression.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME?

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition that has rapidly spread in recent years. The excessive use of technology, including smartphones, computer use not limited to the workplace but also the home, social media and video games, and reckless exercise, pose a significant threat to our hands today. Symptoms begin with swelling, numbness, loss of sensation, and loss of function in the hands, and can progress to muscle atrophy, weakness, and even paralysis if appropriate intervention is not received promptly.

INCORRECT MOUSE HOLDING…

Avoid keeping your wrists bent for long periods when using a computer or keyboard. If your wrists are lifted more than 20 degrees, circulation to the nerves that move your fingers is compromised. Holding a mouse incorrectly, using a laptop in a lap or lying down position, working with a non-ergonomic keyboard for extended periods, and holding your wrists in the same position for extended periods while using a mobile phone can compress the nerves that pass through a narrow space in the wrist called carpal tunnel. Don't succumb to the pressure of work or communication and neglect these crucial rules, risking insidious hand disease.

These diseases trigger carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, which affects our hands, can also occur due to conditions such as diabetes, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, hypothyroidism, obesity, and gout. Liver and kidney diseases, as well as metabolic disorders, can cause swelling in the tissues inside the carpal tunnel, a canal on the inside of the wrist where the median nerve, which controls finger movements, passes. However, controlling the underlying health problems and receiving proper treatment can alleviate this serious condition.

Nerves are one of the tissues in our body that has the heaviest metabolism. Exercise and cardio exercises reduce body fat and swelling, while also increasing blood flow to all tissues, thus benefiting the nerves in our wrists and providing a strong protective shield against Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. However, those who do weight training, especially those who do not protect their wrists with a splint or bandage, can do more harm than good. Regular brisk walking for at least 45 minutes, at least three days a week, can also replace exercise.

EXCESS WEIGHT ALSO AFFECTS THE HANDS

Today, numerous scientific studies have revealed the health risks of being overweight. One of the body parts affected by excess weight is our hands! Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is particularly common in those who are overweight. Therefore, strive to maintain an ideal weight.

Check your vitamin values

However, it's possible to prevent the disease or speed up the treatment process if a problem has already begun by taking certain precautions in your daily life. One such precaution is to avoid extreme diets! Vitamin B, in particular, is crucial in this regard, as it accelerates nerve metabolism and promotes healthy nerve function. Diets that severely restrict vitamin B levels increase the incidence of these problems.

DEFINITIVE TREATMENT IS POSSIBLE

Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome typically begin gradually, manifesting as burning, tingling, numbness, itching, or loss of sensation, particularly in the thumb, index finger, middle finger, and palm. The condition most commonly affects the thumb, which controls not only our hands but also 50 percent of our lives.

If healing is not achieved with a wrist brace and medications, the compressed nerve is released through a 1cm incision under local anesthesia, a procedure that takes approximately 10 minutes.