Apple Watch causing wrist/hand numbness and tingling

Hi

If you experience redness, swelling, itchiness or any other irritation or discomfort on your skin around or beneath your Apple Watch or band, then Apple recommends that you remove your Apple Watch and consult a doctor / physician before wearing it again.

Skin reactions can be a result of various causes including:

• Allergies (eg to nickel).
• Extended exposure to irritants (eg soap or sweat).
• Environmental factors.
• Wearing the band too tightly or too loosely.

More information, including tips from Apple:

• Cleaning your Apple Watch - Apple Support
  

  Includes "Tips to avoid skin irritation, or if you have allergies or skin sensitivities".

• Wearing your Apple Watch - Apple Support
• See under "Skin Sensitivities":

  Important safety information

If you are concerned that your Apple Watch may have experienced above normal operating temperatures, then follow the instructions here:

Keep Apple Watch within acceptable operating temperatures - Apple Support

If you are concerned about a potential hardware defect, then contact Apple Support (remote diagnostics and/or mail-in service may be available, if required), make a Genius Bar reservation or visit an Apple Authorised Service Provider for assistance:

• US: Apple Watch Service Answer Center - Apple Support
• Elsewhere: Select your country for Apple Watch service and repair information

All models of Apple Watch emit radio frequency (RF) energy. Apple advises that, in order to ensure that RF exposure levels remain at or below the levels reported from testing:

• When holding Apple Watch (any model) near your face, you should keep at least 10mm of separation between the watch and your face.
• When wearing Apple Watch (any model) on your wrist, no separation is required.

Information about Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) limits and the highest SAR values for all models of Apple Watch under specified test conditions (including when worn on the wrist) are available via Apple's website, which also details test results for other products including iPhone:

Legal - RF Exposure - Apple

I did feel the same, after wear it for a week, in both day and night. Since then, I take off the watch at night, and the numbness disappeared in about 3days. Not sure about the cause of it...

I bought the Series 3 (Nike+) Watch a few days ago and felt tingling and light numbness in my fingers from the moment I put it on my wrist. I have shoved it around, made its band looser and tighter, and nothing changed. I thought it would go away after wearing it a while, believing it had something to do with static electricity, but it did not. I have never worn it at night and it has not been in contact with water. After a night, the feeling had become slightly less annoying, but was still there. Even as I am typing this, I can still feel numbness in my lower left arm. At its worst, there was a sensation of stiffness in my entire left arm, up to my neck.

What scared me the most was when I could clearly feel the tingling (a feeling as if some electric current was going through my skin) get worse when a notification arrived and the Watch became more active, other than the usual taptic feedback of course.

I always wore a classic watch, every single day, and continuously switched between three different models, and I have never felt any kind of discomfort or feeling as if a small electric current was passing through. There is no skin irritation indicating a nickel allergy and I clearly experienced a connection between the computational activity of the Watch and the numbing feeling in my arm. I also kept my arm and watch spick and span while wearing it.

As such, there is no doubt: the cause is the Watch and probably a combination of its electronic activity and wireless signals, constantly happening while in direct contact with my skin. As I have seen enough examples of other people experiencing the same discomfort on the Apple forums and elsewhere, it seems to me that 1) either there is a certain number of Watches, all with a similar issue which causes some kind of 'leaking' of too much harmful electromagnetic radiation or simply electric current of some kind or 2) I just happen to be one of a fair number of people who are highly sensitive to electronic activity this close to their skin.

Whatever the exact cause, Apple should recognise our concerns and thoroughly investigate them, as well as to warn users of this kind of harm, in addition to their existing warning about nickel (and other materials that may cause allergic reactions).

Well, it has taken awhile for me to put the pieces together. I only have a AW 1 but have struggled with wrist, elbow and shoulder pain, tingling and numbness for about a year. I see a chiropractor regularly and all seems fine. I am seeing another doctor to verify if there are any thyroid and vitamin issues. I was like a light bulb went off to day when I was at a funeral. My arm, wrist were in pain. I had just recharged my watch too. As soon as I got home I jumped on the internet to see if anyone else is in this boat. Obviously, I am not alone. I am taking a break from the watch to see if things improve. If it is the watch, I hope I have not caused too much damage that can't repair itself. I see my doctor in a couple weeks and will see what his thoughts are.

Yes it is. To say nothing is wrong with the watch at all? It's essentially a mini computer on your wrist! Could have something to do with the band being too tight or not at all. I tried it all and still had the same issues. Nobody really knows what the problem is. I don't wear my watch to tight and for me specifically it goes away after I don't wear it at all. I've also never had these issues before wearing the watch at all. I've seen the same with others. Why would I go to the doctor when not wearing it completely removed the problem, not everything is going to be related to a medical issue. Btw I did ask my doctor and no medical reasons were an issue, people are just so quick to say it's not they device when clearly something about it is effecting some but not others.

Hänsel wrote:

As such, there is no doubt: the cause is the Watch and probably a combination of its electronic activity and wireless signals, constantly happening while in direct contact with my skin. As I have seen enough examples of other people experiencing the same discomfort on the Apple forums and elsewhere, it seems to me that 1) either there is a certain number of Watches, all with a similar issue which causes some kind of 'leaking' of too much harmful electromagnetic radiation or simply electric current of some kind or 2) I just happen to be one of a fair number of people who are highly sensitive to electronic activity this close to their skin.

Yes, there's actually a lot of doubt. Just because you think that's what's causing the problem doesn't mean it is. The watch is not capable of generating any electromagnetic frequencies that are harmful to humans.

When I am on the phone with someone for a long while and thus hold my phone near my cheek for said long while, my skin starts turning slightly red and warm. This too strikes me as a connection between its wireless signals and distance to skin.

But I admit that this and what I experience with the Watch might be completely unrelated. This doesn’t make my point any less important to make, as the sensation I had felt truly bad and was the same feeling you get when in touch with light electronic currents. The relation between putting it on and experiencing the numbing was clear. It might not have been the wireless signals, that is just what I fear. It might just as well simply be the metal transferring some unwanted current to my skin. But when I said there is no doubt, I did not refer to the wireless signals, but to the fact that the Watch is, sadly for me and some other people, the cause.

Please allow those who have this tingling/numbing to voice their worries and refrain from overly defending the Watch (which I.d otherwise really love to keep!) just because you’re part of the (lucky) majority who experience no such harm, as it will probably prevent Apple from taking this matter seriously.

It's a little ignorant of you to say it's not the watch. I am actually having the same issues and after wearing it on the opposite wrist the same problems arise. After not wearing the watch at all for some time the symptoms are gone. So in my case I'd say it was in fact the watch, or it's pretty freaking ironic that after not wearing it they are just completely gone!

I have had the watch for about two weeks and I am experiencing similar symptoms. Actually googled it and found this thread.

I will try some of the suggestions I read here.

Of course it isn't hence the word essentially. I was having the same similar symptoms as carpal tunnel syndrome, which I've never had before, after not wearing the watch I noticed the symptoms were just gone, after wearing the watch for a few days it is back. Nothing shows for sure it is the watch or that it isn't, all I know is it's completely gone when not wearing it and back when I do. I was told maybe the vibrations/pulses is a nerve issue for some or even a magnetism issue. I personally believe it's the watch, new symptoms show up after wearing it, yet gone when I don't, definitely not normal at all for me and I doubt CT is coming and going as I wear/not wear my watch, especially on my non dominant hand.

Not sure what the absurd alien reference is for I am just strictly stating that you can't for sure say that it is absolutely not the watch, I am not saying it absolutely is either. In my case it seems to be, others could have the same issue whether it's medical or the watch either way it is something people definitely shouldn't ignore and dismiss and I would hope Apple is taking the claims seriously and trying to figure out if it is or isn't and rule out any concerns for those that are experiencing these issues.

Well it was explained to me about funding for science many years ago by a guy who’s dead now who worked in Cambridge doing test on Animals, lets just say I was shocked.

He then mentioned to always look at who funding each project as this will pretty much determine the direction of the outcome as your basically not going to screw over your funding as you will want them to come back for any future investment.

So the first thing before reading any kind of report is to always look at who’s funding it and why the tests are being done.

I'm having the same problem too, and I'm desperately trying to find a solution! I've tried a leather band, a silicone bumper on the face with little relief. I can fit 2 fingers under my band. If anyone has any suggestions, please pass them along. I love this watch, and I'm willing to try anything!

My hand has been hurting so bad and freezing like I have stuck it in a bag of ice for way to long. It hurts all the way up to my elbow. My left hand stays numb. I had no clue today what it was until I started searching because I was going to go to the doctor. I am sad because I love this watch.

Apparently you are not aware that there are different types of radiation? I would start there for a better understanding.

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