Avoid Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Tips for Housewives During the Holidays

[이데일리 이순용 기자]During the holidays, many housewives complain of severe pain in their wrists. As families spend more time together for the first time in a long time, it is inevitable that they will have to cook more food than usual or do more household chores such as washing dishes and cleaning. As use increases rapidly, various diseases of the hands and wrists often occur and worsen. With the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday, we learn about “carpal tunnel syndrome”, a serious Christmas wrist disease that causes pain to housewives.

◇ Carpal tunnel syndrome causing numbness in the hands of housewives

Carpal tunnel syndrome can occur if you repeatedly do activities that put strain on your wrist, such as twisting, bending, or extending, while doing excessive housework throughout the day. Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common hand disease that causes numbness in the hands and is often found in middle-aged women who repeatedly perform household chores for long periods of time. As use of your hands and wrists increases, if you experience numbness, cramps, or needle-pricking sensations in your hands, you may suspect the disease.

According to statistical data from the Health Insurance Review and Evaluation Service, 75.4% of patients visiting hospitals with carpal tunnel syndrome are between 40 and 60 years old, and if the age and sex ratio is considered, the patients women are about three times more common. The reason why it occurs so frequently in women can be divided into medical causes and causes in everyday life. Typically, women are more vulnerable to damage than men because the cartilage, ligaments and tendons that support their joints are weaker than those of men. However, due to changes in female hormones after menopause, bones, cartilage, ligaments and tendons become weaker than in men. weakened rapidly, making them vulnerable to musculoskeletal diseases. . In addition, housewives who do a lot of housework in daily life repeatedly use their wrists, so the tendons thicken due to the use of hands and wrists, putting pressure on the nerves going to the hands, causing the development of the disease.

In the early stages of carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms, symptoms may be improved with medications or injection therapy. However, if symptoms persist, worsen, or recur repeatedly despite treatment, or if palmaris muscle atrophy or grip strength decreases, transverse carpal ligamentectomy may be necessary to widen the carpal tunnel. Even if the symptom is mild numbness, it is best to get a diagnosis from a hand specialist if the symptom persists for more than a week.

Hong In-tae, director of the Hand and Foot Center of Barunsesang Hospital, said: “In the early stages of carpal tunnel syndrome, the pain is not serious and is often overlooked, but numbness appears repeatedly and the thumb, l The index finger, the middle finger and the middle of the phantom finger feel a numb, burning pain, and the fingertips are especially intense. “If you feel cold symptoms or numbness, it is best to visit a hospital,” he said.

“If carpal tunnel syndrome is left untreated for a long time, the muscles at the base of the thumb weaken and functions such as pinching or grasping are significantly reduced, which is why early diagnosis and timely treatment are very important,” he stressed.

◇How to take care of your wrists to keep your hands healthy like a housewife

To prevent carpal tunnel syndrome it is best to first keep your hands warm and protected. When you immerse your hands in cold water, it’s a good idea to wear rubber gloves over cotton ones to keep warm. If you use your hands and wrists a lot or feel mild pain, applying a warm compress to your wrists for 10 to 15 minutes is also effective.

Secondly, repeated lifting and placing heavy objects can cause numbness in the hands due to pressure on the nerves in the wrist, so it is advisable to reduce the weight and share it rather than carrying a load heavy enough to put strain on the body. wrist with both hands.

Third, when doing work that requires a lot of use of your hands, it’s a good idea to take a break between tasks and relax your wrists by stretching them out. If you work without rest for a long period of time, the ligaments in your wrist may stretch or the median nerve in your wrist may become compressed, so if you work for an hour, take a 5-10 minute break, relax your wrist and shake lightly or occasionally stretch your arm horizontally and hold your finger down. It is useful to repeat the pulling movement.

Wrist pain and strain.
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