Fatigue, Vitamin Deficiencies, and Diabetes: 7 Health Problems that Your Hands are Warning You About

What to do: consider the potential causes of your hand tremors and eliminate them. See your healthcare provider if you suspect Parkinson’s disease or are taking any medications. It’s also important to make sure you get enough sleep and relieve stress in a healthful way (think exercise or a productive hobby).

Take a blood vitamin test and increase your intake of:

• vitamin E – found in walnuts, pumpkin seeds, fatty fish, dark leafy greens, avocado, almonds
• vitamin B1 –found in avocado, okra, eggplant (aubergine), raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar, peas, legumes, oranges, beef, oats, pork, eggs
• vitamin B6 –found in chickpeas (garbanzo beans), fish, organ meats, potatoes, fruit (other than citrus), squash, nuts, spinach
• vitamin B12 –found in meat (including fish), nutritional yeast, eggs, cow milk, yogurt, Swiss cheese

6. White Fingernails

Nail abnormalities are a common sign of systemic disease. (12) Very white fingernails and the skin beneath them can indicate an iron deficiency (anemia). If the skin under your nails appears white and remains so after you press down on it, your blood may be lacking adequate hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen throughout the body.

Other symptoms of iron deficiency include fatigue, pale skin, cold hands and feet, headaches, chest pain, weakness, swelling of the tongue, heart arrhythmia, and dizziness. (13)

What to do: start with a blood test to determine your iron level, as too much iron in the body can be harmful. It’s easy to add iron to your diet with leafy green vegetables, organic meats and wild fish, dried fruits, nuts, eggs, beans, and peas.

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7. Inability to Move Your Hand

The brachial plexus is a group of nerves that run from the spinal cord at the neck, through the shoulder and arm, down to the hand. The nerves can be injured from being stretched (traction), cut, or put under too much pressure (impact). For example, whiplash from a car accident can jerk the head from the neck, stretching muscles and nerves. Joint dislocation or bone fracture can put undue pressure on the brachial plexus. Soft tissue injury can also impact the neighboring nerves. (14)

When the brachial plexus are hurt in some way, communication from the brain to the hand can be impeded, causing loss of feeling and immobility at its extreme.

What to do: consult a movement therapist (physio- or massage therapist). The injury can often be treated with rest and rehabilitation. (15) Severe injury may require nerve and/or muscle surgery to restore function. (16)

Most of us are fortunate enough to have full use of our hands and fingers. It’s hard to imagine their loss. Changes occurring within can tell your health future through your hands by showing you signs of illness. As with unusual changes to any other part of the body, listening to the language of your hands can help you identify whatever’s wrong and set you on your path to healing.