Does anybody else get a cold hand while on the computer?
 

Whenever I surf the net for any prolonged period of time, my right hand (the one I use the mouse with) gets really cold. I was wondering if this happens to anybody else. This is something that I've noticed for a very long time, but didn't think of asking anyone about this until now. I think it would be awesome if some company made a heated mouse. Hell, maybe some compnay does. Maybe I'll look into that...

Yeah, my mouse hand gets cold too. I thought it was cause it's closer to the window.

I wonder if it's circulation related....

Time for an experiement.

Carpel Tunnel

Yupp, after a while the hand gets very cold. Especially when I work a lot with graphics. I usually do a handexercise like letting the thumb touch the tip of all the other fingers faster and faster, after that some light stretching to ease the stiffness.
That usually do the trick.

Sounds like poor circulation to me. Do you lean on your mouse hand elbow?

Yeah, this sounds like Carpel Tunnel. Whenever you feel your hand getting cold stop and do some hand exercises. Crumpling up a single sheet of newspaper into a ball using only one hand is a great exercise for this.

Just don't ignore it. You definitely don't want to have to get that surgery somewhere down the line.

Never happens to me, unless the room is especialy cold, in which case typing on the keyboard helps getting them warmer.

It's not carpal tunnel.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome has to do with nerves be compressed due to an awkward wrist position. CTS has nothing to do with circulation or a cold feeling in your hand. CTS typcially manifests itself when you are NOT at your computer, such as when you are sleeping. Symptoms include a tingling sensation and numbness, a cold feeling is not a typical symptom.

Not every ailment of the hand is evidence of carpal tunnel syndrome in the same way that not every headache is a migrane.

if you are resting your mouse hand/arm while using your the mouse with your hand the blood will flow to your hand. Because you've got pressure on your arm and it is inactive the blood wont flow out as easily. This will cause the hand to get cold/ numb. When you use your mouse or keyboard don't rest your arms and have your elbows at 90 dergrees. That should solve yo' problem

Your hands gonna fall off.

It's a circulation problem, not Carpal Tunnel. Change the position of your hand and arm periodicaly, and you'll be fine.

the same thing happens so me, and i am sure it is a circulation problem like many of the people hear have said.

Yeah, I know it's not carpel tunnel. I'm just glad that I'm not the only person who gets this. After reading peoples responses, I'm pretty sure it's just circulation, because I usually lean on my arm when surfing the net, so it reduces the bloodflow to my hand. I think maybe I'll just have to start doing hand exercises!

marq hit it on the head.

CTS or RSI are quite painful, and are not just a feeling of "coldness" in one's hands.

Having said that, if you do feel your hand getting cold, it's highly desireable to stop, exercise and rest for a few minutes. It's a warning sign that you're not getting enough blood and can be a predecessor of some real damage; ie CTS or RSI itself.

Mr Mephisto

Uggh, having preexisting circulation issues means that yes, my hands get cold. But my hands are almost always cold. :)

Yes, it happens to me all the time too. My friends and I have named the condition "mouse hand."

Happens all the time to me, I just put on a sweater and change my hand position and its all good. Nothing wrong with me...hehe

Nope, my feet fall asleep if I sit in front of the computer for more than an hour and a half though.

I guess Carpal Tunnel is used too much, like a catch all to explain everything wrong with your hands. But as Mr Mephisto said you could still be doing damage and it could lead to CTS in the long run.

I still think you should start doing hand exercises and/or don't spend so much time on the computer.

Causing poor circulation in any area of the body isn't usually a good thing.

it happens to me a lot.
but that's only because i'm almost always sitting by a window.

I cant say that my hand gets cold. Afterall though it is mighty hot up here anyways.............. :D

Happens to me too. Luckily I play the banjo so moving your fingers as an exercise is something I do every day anyway!

A nice gel filled wrist rest solved that problem for me.

stanT is right.that used to happen with me all the time. but then, when i got a wrist pad, my hand no longer got cold

we say over here - "cold hands = warm heart"

Or just try using the other one when you're searching "those" forums. :eek:

or maybe you can try, wearing some warm gloves or something. they helped me when i used to have cold hands all the time.

Sounds like Renauds Syndrome to me.

See my name, nuff said!

Yep, I tend to agree with this.

Cold hands are often associated with Renauds Syndrome (not sure on the spelling), which is related to circulation.

I've read in extreme circumstances, the Syndrome (can't spell the first part, so it will be Syndrome from here on out) can result in some pretty serious issues with the extremities.

My hands get cold, especially in the winter, and if it's cold where I am, my hands are cold also. Generally, the recommendations seem to be keep the hands moving, the circulation flowing, and if possible be warm whenever possible.

If you press your fingernail (or fingertip) and watch to see how fast the white "impression" is filled with red, you can get an idea about how your circulation and capillaries are doing. The faster the red comes back, the better (I assume, I'm no doctor).

Being active helps a lot too. Obviously, if you are active, get the blood pumping, your body will warm up, including the extremities. Also, stay warm, especially in the winter. Winter used to really really mess with my hands, but now I make more of an effort to stay warm, and the results have been good.

Lastly, use hand lotion. Unrealted? Yes, but seriously, my hands used to get so chapped, cracked, and generally messed up due to the cold, dry air. Now that I use hand lotion, it's great. Smells good, makes them feel good, and they're smooth.

I don't think there is a cure for the Syndrome that I know of. I actually went to a few doctors back in the day about it, but they generally said that I didn't have an extreme case and that there wasn't much they could do, or that I should worry about.

However, I personally, recommend staying warm and being active, because activity gets the blood flowing much better than being inactive. And obviously, avoid the cold when possible, as that seems to be what sets it off.

Smoking is also bad news, as it's my understanding that it has a negative effect on the capillaries and circulation in general.

Again, I am no doctor, this is just bits of what I've picked up through some reading, a doctor visit, and my own personal experiences.

EDIT: A few more fun facts.. One method of treatment was to sit out in the cold, while submerging the hands in warm water. In effect this was "tricking" the body to think that your hands were in fact warm, despite the frigid conditions. An ideal place to do this is an army or military base, because it's my understanding that they have the means to create a very cold environment, and that would contrast the warmth the hands are exposed to. I tried this a few years ago on my back porch. Not really sure if it worked, but it was an interesting experience to be freezing my ass off, except for my hands being warm... I also tried acupuncture, and ultimately left that feeling like I had wasted my parent's money. I stopped going when they decided to try using heated "needles" which resulted in my having a very faint burn scar on each wrist... It was then that I realized and became very skeptical of their practice, at least in my case... Lastly, I read (or was told, recommended, I forget) that fish oil is good for the circulation. I take Fish Oil capsules on a daily basis, and have been for years. Apparently, Eskimos eat a lot of fish oil, and they are very healthy in that sense. One thing to be careful of is that (as I understand it) too much fish oil can thin the blood and increase the chances of a stroke (like Aspirin?). I've been taking it for years, and it's now a part of my daily vitamin dose, and I've not experienced any negatives as a result of taking fish oil pills. Whether it is doing anything, I am unable to tell, but I think generally fish oil is a good thing, and therefore I continue to take it. It might be helping, or it might not.. But I've been taking it for years without any problems, and I'm under the impression that it's "good," so I continue to take it to this day.

HAppens to me all the time, and VERY cold as well...

If you're resting your forearm or elbow on the desk, you're probably pinching an artery that carries blood to your hand. Since I use a trackball and don't need ot move it, what I do is to move the gel pad back so that my forearm rests on it about an inch from the lump at the end of the bone.

I also have actual, genuine carpal tunnel syndrome, and you should be happt that all you get is a cold hand. In fact, if your hand froze and icicles started forming on your fingers, you'd still be lucky. On some days I have to wrap both arms with ice packs in ACE bandages and take Advil or Asprin* to keep it bearable.



* - Unless I have some of my prescription back pain medication on hand

Exercise it, use that hand to go up and down on your willy, it will be better.

Ah yes, I get reallly cold hands at the comp.
I usually just let em fondle my junk for a minute then theyre warmed up.

Mine was caused by a window. My main PC positions my mouse hand just below what was a single-pane window. It was the first I upgraded to a storm window. Before that I tried several things to stop the downdraft. Towels rolled up across the top, blinds, plastic film over the whole thing. Modern windows are so much better.

An ex had cold hands all the time. She'd grab me in strategic locations and send me through the ceiling like a startled cat. :eek: If I'm ever tortured to divulge military secrets, cold hands & pulling my leg hair will be the quickest way to make me talk. #&(@*&#$(^%!!!!

Amazing - I was just thinking of this as I was browsing through the topics. This happens all the time - usually after 45 minutes. The other hand, doesn't seem to have the same temperature difference. Any doctors in the house able to comment on this?

I used to get that problem until I started doing insane amounts of upper body calisthenics. They seem to have improved my grip and/or flexibility and now I dont have that cold hand tingling problem.

Wow...talk about back from the dead...what really caught my eye is that the ex-boyfriend who brought me to TFP started this thread!

As the the cyberpunk system collective, we should all embrace the cold hand of technology and shun humankind. Cybernetic emotions will bring us clear and icy peace. Pure neural silence will be our weapon and our victory.

My hand get cold when I'm holding a can of beer...the odd thing is the hand without the beer stays warm...

The circulation people have it. You need to get your mouse hand lower down ... like lap level, so the blood can get in there.