Hi Raghu

She needs to see a neurologist. If she is diabetic, it would also be advisable that she see an endocrinologist.

I am from India and i am writing on behalf of my mother, my mother is facing numbness and pain in left hand 3 fingers from past few months and also one of her leg also she says has pain along with some tingling when kept in water for some time. I dont know to which doctor i need to take her, can u kindly advise please.

Thank you in advance

Hi Kimberly

I understand your concern but I hope that any response here will not detract from seeing a doctor in person. This platform is meant as a guide and at best, it’s not accurate for most cases because readers either do not give all the information, or are not aware of all aspects of their condition, and in the end, text can never replace the clinical evaluation by a doctor in person, coupled with all the necessary investigation and knowledge of the patient’s medical history. With that said, you really should not be seeking an answer online or take any answer as the final assessment if you are worried about your mother. She needs to see a doctor – IN PERSON. Here are some aspects to consider :

The swelling could be due to many reasons – it may be related to the diabetes, her high blood pressure and underlying problems that both you and your mom may not be aware of. Being away from home can often lead to changes in the blood glucose and pressure of a diabetic/hypertensive patient. It is due to a number of factors – greater activity, change in regular diet, climatic differences, poor complicance with meds, etc – all of these common occurrences while holidaying away from home can affect the glucose and pressure levels and lead to swelling. However, given that your mom has had diabetes for such a long period of time, and the hypertension may have also been ongoing, there is a real risk that this may be due to kidney damage. This could be occurring independently or be associated with heart failure and would not have cropped up overnight. Rather it may only be showing the first signs (that you are aware of, your mom may have noticed signs earlier) now given the added strain/excitement/activity of being away from home and the factors mentioned above. I only mention the most common cause and the most serious cause. There could be many other possibilities in between that would be too exhaustive to delve into.

Bottom line, your mom needs to see a doctor there. She may be more comfortable with her regular doctor but that is not an option. Apart from a physical examination, the doctor will also need to consider her medical history which he/she can acquire from her regular doctors. There may be more to the situation that you or your mom is aware of.