Have you ever come across the situation of thumb itching?
Thumb twitching happens as a result of contractions of muscles, it can be caused by stress, using mobile phones, vitamin deficiencies, and more.
It can disrupt your everyday life to a major extent by affecting your daily activities.
Thumb twitching is a temporary condition rarely caused by a serious condition. If your thumb twitching interferes with your daily activities, you should consult a doctor to determine the cause.
In this article, we will tell you about the common causes of thumb twitching along with some treatments. Not only this, but you will also look at the preventive measures for thumb twitching.
The Major Causes of Thumb Twitching
- Doing High-Intensity Exercises
After high-intensity exercises, such as running or weight lifting, your muscles are prone to twitching.
Thumb twitching is likely to occur when your body does not have enough oxygen to convert a metabolic substance called lactate into energy. Extra lactate is within the muscles and can cause muscle contractions when needed.
- Over Intake of Drugs
Overdose of certain drugs is harmful to one’s health because it can cause triggers in the body and muscles. Certain medications and neurotransmitters can accumulate in the nerves of your brain, causing thumb twitching. Aside from that, diuretics for urinary problems, corticosteroids, and estrogen supplements may all cause this side effect.
- Deficiency in Body
Unhealthy eating can cause dehydration in your body, which sometimes leads to nutritional deficiency in an individual’s body. Getting enough of the vitamins, minerals, and proteins in your diet is of utmost importance. Otherwise, it may affect your muscles and lead to the problem of thumb twitching.
- Anxiety and Stress
Stress can be the primary cause of thousands of problems happening in our bodies. Having too much anxiety and stress can disturb your daily routine and sleeping patterns resulting in fatigue and mental pressure. Here, the muscle tension can trigger contractions all over your body, including thumb twitching.
- Excess use of Mobile Phones
If you spend too much time on your mobile phone by scrolling on different applications and playing games, you might feel stress, weakness, and fatigue in your thumbs. Also, If you do not give proper rest to your thumbs and use them, they might twitch and cause you discomfort.
How to Prevent Thumb Twitching?
Thumb twitching is preventable if we pay attention to some common preventive measures. The following methods can help prevent some causes of thumb twitching:
- By Staying Away From Your Triggers
If caffeine, sugar, or alcohol cause your thumb twitching, you should limit your intake of those products or avoid them altogether. After some time, the craving will be gone on its own.
- By Controlling Your Stress Level
As we have already discussed, stress and anxiety can lead to thumb twitching by contracting your muscles. Both meditation and breathing exercises can help reduce stress-induced twitching.
- By Limiting Your Use of Electronics
Limiting electronic use will reduce stress, fatigue, and weakness in the body which will control your problem of thumb twitching.
- By Getting Enough Sleep
Consistent sleep of seven to eight hours per night will make you feel more relaxed. By this, thumb twitching will go on its own.
- By Maintaining a Healthy Diet
You should drink at least 65 ounces of water per day and get plenty of vitamins like B-6, B-12, C, and D. By keeping yourself hydrated; you don’t have to worry about your thumb twitching.
Treatment Options for Thumb Twitching
A normal thumb twitching does not need treatment as it will stop on its own, though it may take a few days.
But, if an underlying condition causes your thumb twitching, you should seek medical attention.
Here are some of the treatment options that may help in thumb twitching:
- Regular Stretching
Stretching your hand muscles regularly prevents thumb twitching and relieves the muscles.
- Massaging
Doing a relaxing activity, like massage, can help in reducing anxiety and stress and boost blood flow resulting in lower thumb twitching.
- Medications
Taking medicines as per the prescription by your doctor will help in case the twitching is severe. In such cases, seizure medications or beta-blockers will be helpful.
- Surgery
The worst cases, like nerve damage, may need immediate surgery as a treatment. Nerve grafts, repairs, transfers, and neurolysis are examples of such procedures that will aid the problem and give better results.
When to Contact a Doctor?
Thumb twitching is a sign of overexertion in young, healthy people. It can be due to too much use of cellphones, computers, and video games.
You should consult a doctor if the twitching persists without a clear cause. They will almost certainly examine it to rule out a neurological disorder.
If your finger twitching interferes with your daily activities or your quality of life, you should visit the doctor for treatment as soon as possible.
With a good amount of rest or vitamin supplements, you can treat all the issues present in your body, whereas others need extra medical care and attention. Symptoms of a central nervous system disorder should also prompt you to seek medical attention.
The following diagnostic tests can determine the cause, which could be a nutritional deficiency, spinal injury, brain tumor, or another serious condition –
- A complete blood count test to identify any loss of blood in the body.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of your brain or spine X-rays to examine the structures of your body.
- Urine analysis to detect the presence of minerals, toxins, and other substances.
- Nerve conduction tests to check nerve function.
Final Thoughts
A thumb twitch is not a cause for major concern because it will vanish away on its own after some days of its occurrence. You should not panic about it because it can cause tension and more muscle contraction.
If you encounter constant thumb twitches or you notice other unusual symptoms, consult a doctor immediately. It will help identify any underlying conditions that are causing your muscle contractions.
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