DR. ARTHRITIS SHARES: DO YOU HAVE THESE CARPAL TUNNEL SYMPTOMS?—TAKE THIS QUIZ

Do you think you have carpal tunnel syndrome? When it comes to self-diagnosing yourself and figuring out whether or not you should seek professional help, take note—it’s pretty hard to tell. Carpal tunnel symptoms start out gradually. And it’s easy to mistake early symptoms as something else or to dismiss them altogether.

If you suspect that you may have carpal tunnel syndrome, take our brief quiz below as a first step towards getting the help and treatment that you need—Please check all that apply:

I frequently feel tingling or numbness in the palm of my hand or fingers.

The tingling and numbness I feel can range from uncomfortable to painful.

I feel symptoms in all of my fingers, except the pinky.

There are times when I can’t feel hot or cold.

My hand and arm feels stiff in the morning.

My pain seems to escalate at night.

There are times when gripping objects can be difficult.

My hand/s have experienced a significant loss of strength.

My fingers feel swollen when they’re visibly not.

My hand and wrist start to itch for no apparent reason.

I have experienced a burning sensation in hands.

I seem to be dropping things more often.

I find it hard to make a fist.

I recently experienced wrist trauma or injury.

My work requires me to do repetitive things using my hand—such as typing or operating heavy vibrating machinery.

Did you check 5 or more things off this list? If yes, it’s very likely that you are exhibiting early carpal tunnel symptoms. Start observing your symptoms a little more closely and see if they persist within the next two weeks.

If they do, then it’s definitely time to visit a trusted physician. Explain all the symptoms you checked above and your medical history so they can help you determine your best course of treatment. And if you have any questions that you think we can help you with, leave us a message.