human
My arms fall asleep daily while sleeping and usually when using armrests in planes. Do I need to consult my physician on this?Hi there. I'm 28F 5'8" 160lbs white, and generally very healthy and active. I have no major medical conditions, good nutrition, don't drink alcohol, workout several times per week (yoga, lifting, indoor climbing). I take hormonal BC to avoid painful periods (been on it for more than a year) and I started taking a long-term antibiotic for a skin issue a week ago (yes I'm aware they interfere).I've noticed that almost every day while sleeping lately, I wake up at some point with some of my fingers numb and prickly up to my entire arm being limp (where it flops around, can't move it, and have to "shake it back to life" so to speak). I remember this happening occasionally as a kid, as well, so it's not a new development. I take several work trips per year that involve flights and I tend to get a similar problem sometimes when using the armrests in planes.I'd say it mostly happens in my right arm (dominant) but I think it happens in the left arm sometimes, as well. I'm a bit alarmed that this seems to be happening so often. I'm guessing my brain wakes me up when this starts to happen so it can't be that long that it happens but I can't be sure, obviously. I'm just concerned that it may at some point cause damage if this keeps happening.I have a memory foam type of mattress, so I'm wondering if a different type of mattress would help? A side sleeping pillow? Maybe it could somehow be nutrition related?Any advice is appreciated, thank you!
gpt
Usual disclaimer: no one can provide specific medical advice for a person or condition without an in-person interview and physical examination, and a review of the available medical records and recent and past testing. This comment is for general information purposes only, and not intended to provide medical advice. No physician-patient relationship is implied or established.Most commonly, the sensation of a limb "falling asleep" is from an issue with a peripheral nerve, and not (as is commonly believed) from an issue of blood circulation.Some people (and I am one) are more susceptible to this phenomenon, but it can happen to anyone. When a nerve is compressed, it will stop functioning temporarily.There are places in your body that are more susceptible to this - generally where a nerve is running close to a bone, and where there is little flesh surrounding the nerve that might diffuse the pressure.One nerve that is very susceptible to compression or injury is the ulnar nerve, commonly known as the "funny bone". If you let your arm dangle at your side with the palm facing forward, the "funny bone" is at the back of the elbow, just above and towards the middle of the body from the bony lump you feel behind your elbow.A sudden blow to this area often produces a sudden sting / burning sensation that radiates down to the hand (this event is the reason behind the name "funny bone"). However, prolonged pressure on the area will also produce symptoms, and is the most likely cause of numbness and tingling in the hand and fingers while leaning on the elbow.Typically, the sensation of the pinky and ring fingers is the most affected, as well as the same side of the hand and forearm as those fingers.The solution that I have worked out for myself is simply to avoid leaning on that part of the elbow. Place the forearm on the armrest instead, or lean on the outside of the elbow, not the inside.This is not, of course, the only place that is affected by nerve compressing. Many people, when sleeping, have their arms under their head and / or pillow, or even under their body. Using trial and errors, you can probably find a sleeping position that will minimize the chance your limbs will "fall asleep".
Kidney stones training nutrition adviceThree weeks ago I've got my first kidney stone experience, and it wasn't pleasant. I just expelled it recently and went back to the hospital to do one more check up and also to give the stone to them in order to determine what kind of stone it is... After the check up they told me the stone went out and I was ok. But apparently I have another small one forming in my other kidney. They said it's small and even if it started moving I'll probably just expel it without any problems or pain, but I need to be careful on not making it grow bigger so I should drink plenty of water. So far so good.Now my problem is; I'm underweight and I've got a sedentary job, and I'm starting an intensive six months program at the gym to build muscle mass. This program include a very strict diet plan and the consumption of protein whey powder and creatine. I read in many forums that protein powder and creatine are not ideal for subjects with kidney stones history. And when I asked the doctor after my check up he just said "doesn't matter what you eat, just drink a lot of water". Now, I'm not an expert, but I do believe that what you eat does matter...I'm asking for advice here because I cannot see a specialist at the moment. I was wondering if taking protein powder and creatine wont have any negative effect on the formation of other stones as long as I drink plenty of water, or if I should avoid them...And if I should avoid them, are there any substitutes I can take?To give some context. I'm male, 32 years old, 187 cm and 69 kilos, never had kidney stones before, never took creatine before, I took some protein whey powder for about 40 days one year ago. I'm not under medications. I don't have any history of diseases.Any advice is really much appreciated.
If you can drink enough water, you can consume a bit more protein (not too much more; up to 60-65g is ok. More is not helpful and is wasted, unless you're training for the Olympics) without problems. Generally, taking more creatine won't help....it gets digested, and is no different than any other (much cheaper) protein. The issue is that the amount of water you need to drink to markedly reduce kidney stone formation is a lot...at least 2.5 liters a day. Most people don't manage to make it to 2 liters a day unless they force themselves to drink more water. It helps if you add a bit of flavoring (e.g lemon flavor) to it. Especially if you exercise a lot, you will need to drink even more. How much more? If your urine is totally colorless (not yellow), you're drinking enough. You can do your weight training and eat a bit more protein with no problem, but generally, one will not see any additional muscle increase by eating much more protein (more than 60 g or 65g per day). So eating 100 g of protein per day will not increase your muscle mass, and will increase the risk of kidney stones. All the protein whey powder and creatine are more psychological...you can get the same benefits by eating a couple of extra egg whites per day.