Feeling a tingling sensation in your hands while crying is a common experience. This phenomenon often prompts questions about its causes. Understanding the body’s responses to intense emotions explains why this sensation occurs. This article delves into the physiological processes leading to tingling hands during crying.
The Body’s Physiological Response to Crying
Crying is a human response to strong emotions. When experiencing intense emotional states, the body activates its sympathetic nervous system, commonly known as the “fight or flight” response. This activation prepares the body for perceived threats by increasing heart rate and altering breathing patterns.
During a crying spell, breathing can become faster and deeper than usual, a pattern known as hyperventilation. This rapid breathing is an involuntary reaction to emotional distress, where more air is exhaled than inhaled. This altered breathing pattern initiates physiological events affecting various bodily sensations.
The Science Behind Tingling Hands
The primary reason for tingling hands during crying is hyperventilation. When breathing rapidly and deeply, the body exhales excessive carbon dioxide (CO2). This leads to a reduction in CO2 levels in the blood, a condition known as hypocapnia.
A decrease in blood CO2 causes the blood to become more alkaline, a state referred to as respiratory alkalosis. This shift in blood pH impacts the availability of calcium in the bloodstream.
It reduces ionized calcium, the form of calcium used by nerves and muscles. Nerves need balanced calcium to transmit signals effectively. When calcium levels are altered due to respiratory alkalosis, nerve excitability increases, leading to abnormal nerve firing. This increased excitability manifests as paresthesia, the medical term for the tingling sensation in the hands.
Other Accompanying Sensations
Tingling in the hands is not an isolated symptom during intense crying or hyperventilation. Other sensations can arise due to the same underlying physiological changes. Individuals might experience lightheadedness, dizziness, or weakness.
Some people may report numbness around the mouth, muscle spasms, or even cramping in the hands and feet, a condition known as tetany. These sensations are linked to the altered calcium levels and increased nerve excitability caused by hypocapnia and respiratory alkalosis.
When to Seek Medical Attention
While tingling hands during crying are usually a temporary response to emotional hyperventilation, there are situations when medical attention is recommended.
If the tingling sensation is persistent, meaning it does not resolve shortly after the crying episode subsides, consult a healthcare provider. Similarly, if the tingling occurs frequently without an obvious emotional trigger like crying, it should be evaluated.
Seek medical care if the tingling is severe, spreads rapidly, or is accompanied by other concerning symptoms. These might include chest pain, unexplained shortness of breath unrelated to crying, or significant dizziness leading to fainting. Such symptoms could indicate a different underlying medical condition that requires diagnosis and treatment.
Strategies for Managing the Sensation
Managing the tingling sensation involves addressing the hyperventilation that causes it. The approach is to slow and regulate breathing.
Pursed-lip breathing, where you inhale through your nose and exhale slowly through pursed lips, can help. This method increases the carbon dioxide levels in the blood, counteracting hypocapnia.
Focusing on diaphragmatic or “belly” breathing, rather than shallow chest breathing, promotes a more balanced respiratory rhythm. Placing one hand on your chest and the other on your belly helps you focus on making your belly rise more than your chest as you inhale. Finding a quiet space, focusing on an object, or drinking water can also help calm the nervous system and regulate breathing during intense emotional moments.