If your job or favorite hobby puts strain on your hands and wrists, you might wonder if you have carpal tunnel syndrome. Maybe you’ve got some symptoms, like tingling or numbness in your fingers, and you want to make sure it doesn’t get worse. The good news is that there’s a lot you can do to protect yourself and prevent your symptoms from getting worse.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on your median nerve. This nerve gives you feeling in your thumb and all your fingers except your pinky. When the median nerve goes through your wrist, it passes through a narrow path -- the carpal tunnel -- that’s made of bone and ligament. If you get any swelling in your wrist, this tunnel gets squeezed and pinches your median nerve, which causes your symptoms.

There’s no one, surefire way to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. But if you reduce stress and strain on your hands and wrists as much as you can, you may keep it from getting worse.